Nurses claim that they will intensify their agitation in the coming days if they do not receive the wages set by the government.
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Nurses at Gandaki Medical College (GMC) in Pokhara protested for six days, chanting slogans like ‘Expensive hospitals, cheap nurses’, ‘We are not machines’, and ‘Stop labor exploitation’, and holding placards. They even sat on a sit-in outside the hospital from 9 am to 5 pm, demanding ‘fair wages for labor’. They are currently protesting during the Tihar holiday by tying black armbands.
The government had decided on November 12, 2002 to implement the same remuneration and service facilities for health workers working in health institutions as the government. But the nurses have gone on strike, saying that the hospitals have ignored the government's instructions. What do the nurses of GMC Hospital say on this issue? They shared their views with Kantipur on condition of anonymity:
A nurse who has been involved in the nursing profession for a long time and is also participating in the protest says that the hospital should pay all nurses the salary set by the government.
says, "We have not asked for anything else, we have no other demands, but why can't the hospitals pay the 'salary' set by the government? Who will understand our suffering?" We work day and night without saying anything, and the salary is just like hearing it.'
She also says that the hospital should appreciate the pain and effort they have put in. She also complained that there is no environment here where people can study and do something in their own country after making a lot of investment.
Similarly, according to another nurse who has been working at GMC Hospital for 9 years, she is embarrassed to even mention her salary even though she is a nurse by profession.
She said, 'It cost us 8-9 lakhs to study. It is even more expensive to study now. We spend money to study, work in day and night shifts, and the salary will be the same as that of the helper and us! Isn't this too much?' She said that they are demanding that they be paid according to their labor.
'When will we see that our profession is respected?', she said, 'We have a basic salary of 12 thousand after working day and night. If we have to buy something for ourselves, we have to ask for money at home. Parents say that this is the situation after studying nursing and getting a job. At that time, it hurts a lot.'
She also says that health workers are forced to migrate abroad because of the lack of respect for labor. 'This profession is so recognized and respected abroad. How good are the services and facilities? But in our country, we should protest to pay the salary set by the government and understand our suffering. Is it possible to give a speech saying that we cannot pay a good salary and everyone has gone abroad? We should also create a situation where we can live in Nepal!'
Nurses say that they will intensify the protest in the coming days if they do not receive the salary set by the government.
Similarly, according to another nurse who has been working in the nursing profession for a long time, it is difficult to even pay the rent in Pokhara with her salary.
says, ‘The salary received in a month is not enough to pay the rent. How have we managed to pay the fees and household expenses of our children? Don’t you understand, and the hospitals where we work?’ She said that everyone loves the job of a nurse, but they are not able to pay well.
‘Does this happen anywhere?,’ she continued, ‘We understand that the patients are suffering because of us, but until the administration listens to our demands and fulfills them, we will not give up the protest program.’
