Nurse their wounds

Nurses in Nepal are woefully paid. This exploitation of these essential healthcare workers must end.

In any emergency, nurses are the first to respond. Their work routine entails long and unpredictable hours, a heavy workload as well as physical and emotional strain. Yet they relentlessly work to ensure the safety of patients. Acknowledging this dedication, nursing is called a “noble profession”. But in Nepal, it is grossly undervalued, with nurses at private hospitals being unfairly compensated and disrespected. Their earnings range from just Rs15,000 to Rs20,000 a month, which is far from sufficient to support their livelihood. For this very reason, nurses at Manipal Teaching Hospital in Phulbari, Pokhara, have been on strike since October 10, with nurses from the other two major hospitals—Gandaki Medical College (GMC) and Charak Memorial Hospital—following suit. Now, the protest has fanned out to Biratnagar’s Birat Medical College Teaching Hospital.