KATHMANDU: Internship doctors, medical officers, and resident doctors staged a protest at Maitighar in Kathmandu on Saturday, alleging labor exploitation and demanding improved working conditions and implementation of existing labor laws.

Organized under the Struggle Committee Against Labor Exploitation of Young and Trainee Doctors, the protesters said trainee doctors, including interns and residents, are routinely required to work excessive hours in violation of the Labor Act, 2017. They demanded that duty hours be limited to 12 hours a day and 72 hours a week, with one mandatory day off each week. They also called for overtime pay for work exceeding 48 hours a week, as provided under the law.

The protesters further demanded implementation of the salary increase announced in the government’s budget and the previously agreed salary equivalent to the eighth-level officer for resident doctors. They also called for the removal of the mandatory one-year work experience requirement before admission to MD, MS, and MDS programs after completing MBBS and BDS.