KATHMANDU: The government has formed a 14-member committee to address the demands of nursing professionals regarding fair remuneration.

The committee is led by Health Ministry Additional Secretary Prof. Dr. Shreekrishna Shrestha.

The move follows protests by nurses from various private hospitals and medical colleges across the country, who have been demanding fair pay and benefits.

On Thursday, Prime Minister Sushila Karki—who also serves as the Minister for Health—directed ministry officials to take immediate steps to resolve the issue.

According to Health Secretary Dr. Bikash Devkota, the committee held its first meeting today to create a conducive environment for striking nurses to return to work.

“Tihar holidays begin tomorrow, and the workload will increase as many staff members will be on leave. Therefore, we are working to reach an agreement today itself to ensure nurses return to their duties,” Dr. Devkota said. “We have also urged the protesting nurses to resume work.”

The committee has been tasked with submitting an initial report within a week. It will recommend both immediate and long-term measures to resolve the ongoing dispute.

Members include Dr. Anup Bastola, chief of the grievance unit at the Health Ministry; directors of the Medical Education Commission and the Nursing and Social Security Division of the Department of Health Services; and representatives from the Home, Finance, Labor, and Education ministries.

Additionally, representatives from the Nepal Nursing Council, Nepal Nursing Association, Nepal Medical and Dental College Association, the Association of Private Health Institutions of Nepal (AFIN), and the protesting nurses themselves have been included in the committee.

The chief of the Health Ministry’s Medical Services, Education, and Research Division has been designated as the committee’s member-secretary.

Nurses have been demanding the implementation of the government-set minimum salary and facilities.
The current minimum government salary for nurses stands at Rs 34,730.