Hold the line

Laws must be defended unless there is a clear legal or constitutional reason to change them.

On July 7 , the Nepal Medical Council, the umbrella body of medical doctors, shut down non-emergency medical services across the country, protesting against the Consumer Court verdicts. The court had slapped hefty fines on three private hospitals and doctors, finding them guilty of negligence, which resulted in patients’ health complications and even deaths. Expressing their disagreement, agitated doctors demanded “necessary revisions” to the Consumer Act. The government complied on July 18 by swiftly forming a three-member panel to proceed with the amendment. But, in doing so, the government not only yielded to an interest group but also undermined the court’s accountability and patients’ rights to seek legal redress.