Incident Reports

Gandaki college doc's stir enters 14th Day

2016-12-15

Gandaki, Kaski, Pokhara Lekhnath

Doctors of Gandaki Medical College have been agitating for the past 14 days, disrupting health services and academic classes here in Pokhara. The doctors have put forward four demands including increment in perks, timely payment, reinstatement of fired colleagues, and permanent status for those appointed on contract. The doctors have now also prevented new patients from being admitted to the hospital. According to Dr Tara Koirala, secretary of the struggle committee formed for the cause, the agitation has been protracted because of the college administration’s negligence towards their demands. “The college hasn’t increased our salaries for the past five years, and they don’t pay us on time. They have also fired two contract-based colleagues and refused to grant permanent status to those working on contract,” said Dr Koirala. Koirala further accused the college of violating earlier agreements with the doctors. “Our agreement stipulated that our salary would be increased every two years. But the administration does not even pay our salary on time,” he said. The doctors also said that a provision of the Labour Act 2048 stipulates that contractual employees have to be granted permanent status after 240 days of employment, which the administration has neglected. The college, on its part, has decried the agitation, saying it is against professional ethics. “The agitating doctors should realise the fact that the problem can be solved through dialogue,” said College CEO Santosh Khanal, saying the doctors don’t have any right to deprive patients of treatment. Regarding the firing of the two doctors, Khanal clarified that they were not fired, and they had simply not extended their contracts. “We cannot reinstate them,” he said, adding he had briefed the concerned minister about the doctors’ agitation. The doctors and the administration have had two rounds of talks earlier, but the talks were inconclusive. विभिन्न चार सूत्रीय माग राख्दै गण्डकी मेडिकल कलेजका चिकित्सकहरु आन्दोलनमा उत्रिएका छन्। मंगलबारदेखि चिकित्सक आन्दोलनमा उत्रिएका कारण अस्पतालको बहिरंग सेवा र केलजको शैक्षिक कार्यक्रम प्रभावित भएका छन्। सेवा सुविधा बढाउनु पर्ने र निस्कासित चिकित्सकहरुको बहाली गर्नु पर्ने, महिना बितेको ७ दिन भित्र तलब वितरण गर्नुपर्ने लगायतका माग गर्दै आन्दोलनमा उत्रिनु पर्नेको संर्घष समितिका सचिव डा. तारा कोइरालले जानकारी दिए। उनले बिना कारण चिकित्सकलाई निस्कासन गरेका कारण उनिहरुलाई पुनर्बहाली गर्नुपर्ने बताए। उनले व्यवस्थापनले शुक्रबारसम्म आफ्ना माग पुरा नगरे कडा आन्दोलनका कार्यक्रम अगाडि बढाउने बताए। तीन÷तीन वर्षभन्दा बढी काम गरेका चिकित्सकलाई निस्कासन गरेको उनले बताए। व्यवस्थापन पक्षले भने चिकित्सिकहरुलाई निस्कासन नगरेको बताएको छ। करार सकिएका २ चिकित्सिकहरुलाई म्याद नथपेको गण्डकी मेडिकल कलेजका सिइओ सन्तोष खनालले बताए। उनीहरु कलेजको समयमा पनि अन्यत्र परिक्षणमा जाने गरेका कारण बाध्य भएर करार थप गर्न नसेको व्यवस्थापन पक्षले बताएको छ।
Details and Impacts
Violent / Non-violent Nonviolent
Onesided / Twosided Onesided
Collective / Interpersonal Collective
Event Duration More than 7 days
Primary Form Gherau/Dharna (sit-in)/padlocking
Primary Cause Labor disputes, not including civil servants
Actor 1 - Number of people 200
Actor 1 - Affiliations Citizen/Individuals
Actor 1 - Youth unknown
Actor 2 - Number of people NA
Actor 2 - Affiliation (Target) Health sector/health workers, doctors
Actor 2 - Youth na
National/Online Media , Local Newspaper - Kaski

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