Nurses have warned of halting their services if the government fails to reinstate three nurses who were recently laid off from the Human Organ Transplant Centre (HOTC), Bhaktapur in what they said was an illegal move by the Ministry of Health (MoH). The Nursing Association of Nepal (NAN), the umbrella organisation of nurses across the country, has warned of a nationwide protest if the nurses were not reinstated. Prajina Jati, Sajana Deula and Sapana Deula were given marching orders on November 27 by the ministry, without giving proper reason. The nurses claim that the hospital decided to fire them in order to hire nurses close to the hospital administration. Jati said she was fired after she raised her concern over duty hours, lesser payment and tendency to hire nurses as volunteers in the hospital. “I was then targeted by the administration for indiscipline. This was completely baseless because I had raised genuine issues,” said Jati. Ganga Thapa, acting president of NAN, said the reason for firing the nurses is yet unknown. “The contract of the nurses expired on July. They were asked to work until August. And all of a sudden, they get a letter from the Health Ministry stating that they have been terminated from their job,” said Thapa. “The hospital has undermined the services of the nurses. We will fight back.” She demanded that the nurses be immediately reinstated and action taken against the HoTC administration. Executive Director of HoTC Dr Pukar Shrestha was not available for comment despite repeated attempts. Officials at the MoH said the nurses were hired on contract for a certain time frame. The contract had recently expired and the MoH did not extend their term, the officials said. On Tuesday, the nurses staged a sit-in protest outside the Ministry of Health. While the MoH has formed a committee to investigate the case and address the demands of the nurses, a formal meeting has not been convened as Dr Shrestha remained out of contact, according to Dr Bhola Ram Shrestha, who leads the probe team. “We listened to the grievances of the agitating nurses on Tuesday. We will soon recommend necessary measures.” भक्तपुरस्थित मानव अंग प्रत्यारोपण केन्द्रबाट निस्कासित भएका नर्सहरुलाई पुर्नबहाली गर्नु पर्ने माग राख्दै नेपाल नर्सिङ एशोसिएसनले आज स्वास्थ्य मन्त्रालय घेराउ गरेको छ । मानव अंग प्रत्यारोपण केन्द्रत निस्कासित गरिएका दुई नर्स त्रजिना जति, सजना देउला लगायतका सात कर्मचारीलाई पुर्नबहालीको माग गर्दै नेपाल नर्सिङ संघको अगुवाईमा आयोजना भएको मन्त्रालय घेराउ कार्यक्रममा उपत्यकाका नर्सिङसम्बन्धी विभिन्न संघ संस्थाहरुले सर्मथन गरेका थिए । नेपाल नर्सिङ संघकी कार्यवहाक अध्यक्ष गंगा थापाका अनुसार विना गल्ती तथा जानकारी मानव अंग प्रत्यारोपणले दुई नर्स त्रजिता, सजनालगायत डायलासिस कर्मचारीलाई अस्पतालबाट निश्कासन गरेपछि उनीहरुको पुर्नबहालीको माग गर्दै संघले आन्दोलन सुरु गरिएको हो । आन्दोलनका क्रममा उनलाई पुर्नवहाली गर्ने सम्बन्धमा स्वास्थ्य मन्त्रालय र संघबीच वार्ता हुने भनिएकाले थप आन्दोलनका कार्यक्रम तय नभइसकेको उनले बताइन् । भनिन्, ‘यसबारे आज ११ बजे वार्ता बस्ने भनिए पनि अहिलेसम्म वार्ताको प्रकि्रया अगाडी बढेकाले गर्दा हामी अहिले स्वास्थ्य मन्त्रीसित भेट गर्ने क्रममा छौं । यसबारे स्वास्थ्य मन्त्रीबाट केही भनाई आएपछि आन्दोलनलाई कसरी अगाडी लैजाने भन्ने विषयमा केही टुङ्गो लाग्नेछ ।’ नर्सहरुको पुर्नबहालीका सम्बन्धमा मन्त्रालयस्तरमा दुईवटा कमिटी यस अघि नै बने पनि पुर्नवहालीको माग पूरा नभएको उनले बताइन् । उनका अनुसार केन्द्रले विभिन्न बहानामा अस्पतालमा कार्यरत सातजना कर्मचारीलाई पटक पटक गरी निश्कासन गर्नुका साथै उनीहरुलाई हप्तामा छ दिन काम गराएर ४ दिनको तलव दिएर श्रम शोषण गर्दै आएको थियो । त्यस्तै, कयौ नर्सहरुलाई स्वयंसेवीका रुपमा राख्नुका साथै तोकिएको पारिश्रमिक अनुसारको पैसा नदिने लगायतको काम गर्दै आएपछि आफ्नो आन्दोलन पश्चात केन्द्रले ती प्रवृति बन्द गरी हाल एक जना नर्सलाई मात्र स्वयंसेवामा खटाएको नर्स गंगाले बताइन् । यता आन्दोलनबारे अस्पतालसित बुझ्न खोज्दा मानव अंग प्रत्यारोपण केन्द्रका कार्यकारी निर्देशक डा. पुकारचन्द्र श्रेष्ठले प्रतिक्रिया दिन अस्वीकार गरे ।