Pokhara, June 1

Finally, after over a week’s disruption, services have resumed at the Pokhara-based Manipal Hospital today.

After repeated talks between the agitating staff and hospital administration to end the strike failed, Social Development Minister Naradevi Pun Magar of Province 4 yesterday had directed both sides to resume services from today.

All but emergency services were halted at the hospital since May 22 due to the agitation of hospital employees over the expulsion of four of their colleagues. The hospital management had fired its employees Ramesh Bohara, Nilkantha Bhattarai, Tek Bahadur BK and Alpana Thakur, accusing them of being involved in irregularities in the supply of medicines.

According to the hospital director Dr Bijaya Singhi, over 200 patients received services at the hospital today.

Following pressure from the provincial government to resume services, employee union leaders had gathered for a meeting today and decided to allow resumption of services and seek solution to the issue through legal channel.

Bohara, one of the sacked employees, described their expulsion as the hospital punishing them for lobbying for better salary and perks. “We had time and again raised voice demanding better salary and perks, and they fired us,” he argued, adding they are now preparing to go to court. “We’ve asked our colleagues to return to work as we don’t want to disrupt services for long,” he said.

Around 800 patients visit the hospital every day and the hospital has provided jobs to more than 800 persons.

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