Government forms 14-member committee to address demands of protesting nurses

Kathmandu: The government has formed a 14-member committee to address the wage-related demands of protesting nurses and healthcare workers.

The committee, coordinated by Additional Secretary Prof. Dr. Shree Krishna Shrestha, is holding its first meeting today.

The move follows protests by nurses at private hospitals and medical colleges over inadequate wages. Secretary of the Ministry of Health, Dr. Bikash Devkota, said the committee aims to reach an agreement quickly, and urged striking nurses to return to work.

The committee includes representatives from the Ministry of Health, Medical Education Commission, Nepal Nursing Council, professional associations, and protesting nurses.

It is tasked with reviewing salary directives, ensuring their implementation, and submitting recommendations for immediate and long-term solutions.

Protesting nurses say the wages they are currently receiving are too low to sustain a living.