As many as 150 medical officers working at various hospitals in Birgunj have resigned en masse on Monday after the authorities concerned failed to address their five-point demand.
The doctors had demanded minimum wage of Rs 65,000, health and life insurance worth Rs 2.5 million, WHO standard PPEs, free medical care if the they contract COVID-19 and proper quarantine facility, among other things with a seven-day ultimatum.
Dr Ramakawal Ray Yadav, Secretary of the Medical Officers Association of Birgunj, said, “We have decided to stop going to hospitals from tomorrow as the hospitals’ administrations, Doctors Association, District Administration Office (DAO) among others failed to address our demands.”
“We were compelled to take this decision after the government failed to pay heed to our demands despite us risking our lives to deal with the pandemic in the frontlines amid lack of protection or incentives,” Dr Yadav said.
Meanwhile, as many as 55 health workers staffed at the emergency department of the Nobel Medical College Teaching Hospital, Biratnagar resigned en masse on Tuesday.
Their mass resignation comes after they were denied of remuneration by the hospital administration.
The health workers had earlier demanded timely remuneration and risk allowance for working during the coronavirus pandemic. However, after the hospital management refused to meet their demands, the health workers resigned en mass and are on protest.
Director of the Nobel Medical College, Narayan Dahal, informed that the employees had demanded an additional of Rs 5,000 in their salary per month as allowance but the management could not meet their demand.