KATHMANDU: The Nepal Medical Council on Friday canceled the licenses of 17 physicians after confirming they had renounced Nepali citizenship to obtain foreign nationality, removing their names from the official registry with immediate effect.

The council said the decision was taken under the Nepal Medical Council Act 1964, Regulations 1968, and Citizenship Act 2006, which invalidate a doctor’s registration once foreign citizenship is acquired.

Those affected had obtained citizenship in countries including the United Kingdom, the United States, Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Portugal, and India.

Officials stated that under existing legal provisions, medical registration granted as a Nepali citizen automatically becomes void upon acquiring foreign citizenship.