Code of conduct for doctors, nurses published online

Kathmandu, May 14

The Ministry of Health and Population has recently uploaded the code of conduct for all health professionals, including doctors and nurses, regarding ideal behaviour towards patients on its website.

The government’s programmes and polices of fiscal year 2018-19 had included the formulation of code of conduct for health professionals. The code is to guide health professionals’ behaviour towards health consumers.

Following a secretary-level decision on April 30, the MoHP decided to publicise the code of conduct with the motive of sensitizing health workers and public about it.

According to Chief of Plan, Policies and Monitoring Division at MoHP Bikash Devkota, the ministry has uploaded shortened list of codes on its website. The codes were drafted by Nepal Medical Council and Nepal Nursing Council. “We are planning to modify the codes after consultation with NMC and NNC soon,” Devkota said.

As per the code of conduct, doctors are to dedicate their life to service of humanity, maintain utmost respect for human life and not let any sort of discrimination stand between duty and patient. Doctors are to carry out professional duties with conscience and dignity. The health of patient should be top priority and the secrets of patients must be kept confidential by health professionals.

Likewise, Nepal Nursing Association-registered nurses or midwives’ must engage in the care and management of health of patients, must pay due respect to the manager or senior health workers, treat health consumers’ and subordinate health workers and other staffers equally, must behave in a courteous manner so as to positively impact the psychological state of health consumers and their families.

In the same way, nurses or midwives must use high conscience to improve the condition of health consumers and relieve pain and suffering and patients’ lives, respect the rights and dignity of health consumers, maintain privacy and confidentiality and employ professional conscience during emergency.

Similarly, the code of conduct reads that nurses should not take financial or in-kind advantage such as remuneration, allowance and other facilities pursuant to the law upon propagating nursing or midwifery profession and maintain professional dignity and respect.