Doctors across Nepal launched a nationwide protest on Tuesday by boycotting all non-emergency medical services to demand increased security and legal action following a surge in assaults and verbal abuse against healthcare workers. The protest was sparked by an incident on Saturday at Narayani Hospital in Birgunj, where Dr. Pramod Ram was physically attacked after the death of a 45-year-old heart patient in the hospital’s emergency ward. Relatives of the deceased reportedly vandalized hospital property and confronted medical staff. Dr. Ram was transferred to Kathmandu’s National Trauma Centre and is currently reported to be out of danger.
The Nepal Medical Association (NMA), representing medical and dental doctors nationally, expressed dissatisfaction with the authorities for not taking swift action against those responsible, even four days after the incident. In response, the NMA called for a boycott of all outpatient and non-emergency services across the country, affecting thousands of patients seeking routine care. Staff at Narayani Hospital also submitted mass resignations, demanding stricter legal measures and enhanced security to protect healthcare providers.
Senior NMA officials noted an alarming increase in aggression toward medical staff, with over 90 reported cases of physical and verbal abuse over the past ten months. Weekly, the association receives two to three reports of assaults, threats, or defamatory incidents targeting doctors, often amplified via social media platforms. Specific incidents in various regions have included verbal threats from local officials and hostile confrontations with patients’ relatives.
The suspension of services has led to significant disruptions in patient care nationwide. Major hospitals such as Bir Hospital, Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital, and Patan Hospital typically serve thousands of patients daily, many of whom were forced to postpone treatment, extend their stays in cities, or return home untreated. Patients like Bel Bahadur Shrestha, awaiting treatment for an infected fractured leg, and Usha Yadav, unable to receive wound dressing after surgery for a tendon rupture, highlighted the personal toll of the strike.
While several rights organizations condemned the attacks on healthcare workers, they also urged the protesting doctors to consider alternative protest methods that would not hinder access to medical care. The Consumer Rights Protection Forum labeled assaults on hospitals and doctors as serious criminal offenses demanding stringent government intervention but cautioned that withdrawing services adversely impacts patient rights. The National Human Rights Commission similarly condemned the violence while expressing concern about the suspension of healthcare services. The commission emphasized that obstructing essential services violates Nepal’s constitutional guarantee of the right to health under Article 35, as well as international consumer rights principles.
As of Tuesday evening, the Nepal Medical Association announced the continuation of the protest through Wednesday, maintaining pressure on authorities to implement urgent security and legal reforms to safeguard medical professionals across the country.