Two-day weekend policy intensifies Nepal’s healthcare problems. Will hospitals listen though?

If the policy remains unchanged, hospitals will be further strained, and public trust in healthcare will erode.

Nepal’s healthcare system has long been under pressure, with overcrowded outpatient departments and overburdened medical staff. Long queues at the state-owned hospitals are a daily reality. Poor patients have no other option but to wait for years to get their surgeries done. Those travelling from far-flung areas to the federal capital for check-ups are doubly burdened as they have to foot medical bills as well as cover accommodation costs.