A dispute has erupted between the employees and the administration at Geta Eye Hospital in Kailali, run by Netra Jyoti Sangh Nepal. The employees are angry that their long-standing demands have not been addressed. Now, the dispute has reached the Human Rights Commission.

The employees have been demanding that the dearness allowance increased from last year's budget be immediately provided, that the public holiday given by the Nepal government on Sunday should be implemented in the hospital as well, or that they should be given a leave in lieu or additional allowance, and that the hospital should conduct an Organization and Management Survey (ONM) to ensure the necessary manpower, posts and service facilities.

They had locked the office of the hospital chief and the administration wing on May 20, saying that their demands were not being heard. The employees claim that the services of the service recipients were not disrupted during the lockout. According to an employee of the hospital, the employees working in the hospital have been struggling for years for issues related to salary increases, promotions, career development and service facilities.

'Most of the demands we have raised now are not new. There have been problems with employee salaries, promotions and career development for years. When facilities are cut, the management makes unilateral decisions, but there is no interest in addressing the legitimate demands of the employees,' the employee said.

According to him, the current main dispute is related to dearness allowance. Claiming that a decision has been made to provide the allowance from the center, he accused the hospital of delaying its implementation.

Instead of addressing the demands, the administration has accused the employees participating in the protest of repeatedly asking for explanations, putting them under mental pressure and creating an atmosphere of fear. A complaint has also been filed with the Sudurpaschim Province Office of the National Human Rights Commission regarding the same issue.

'Instead of solving the problem, the employees were made to fear action and panic by taking the matter to the district administration and police. That is why the complaint was filed with the Human Rights Commission,' the employee said. He claimed that action had been taken against some employees earlier for various reasons.

After the complaint, the National Human Rights Commission had written to the hospital administration seeking information about the incident. Man Bahadur Karki, acting chief of the National Human Rights Commission's Sudurpaschim Province Office, said that information was sought from the hospital based on the employee's complaint.

'We had sent a letter to the hospital to understand the real situation after the employee's complaint. We have received a response,' Karki said. He said that this issue is more of an internal managerial dispute between the employees and the administration than a human rights violation.

Meanwhile, Suresh Raj Pant, the hospital's chief medical director, has claimed that the dispute has been resolved. 'They were demanding a salary increase. The problem has been resolved after the letter from the center came. There is no dispute in the hospital now,' Pant said.

Regarding the employees' accusation that the administration has repeatedly asked for clarification without reason, he said that an explanation was sought as per the hospital's rules. However, while the administration is claiming that the dispute has been resolved, the employees say that their demands have not been addressed yet. They have warned that the agitation will continue until their demands are met.

Meanwhile, locals and life members of the organization have also shown interest in the dispute. On Tuesday, locals reached the hospital and questioned the administration. A tense situation also developed at the hospital for some time in the afternoon. Local Bharat Khadka said that after repeated disputes started at a prestigious health institution in his area, he went to the hospital to discuss with both the staff and the administration to understand the real situation.

'When listening to both sides, it was seen that there has been a problem of coordination and communication between the upper and lower level employees for a long time. The management committee and the district committee of the Netrajyoti Sangh should intervene and find a solution,' he said.

Another local, Giriraj Bhandari, said that the locals were forced to take interest after hearing about the mental pressure on the employees and complaints about the services and facilities. 'Geta Eye Hospital is a prestigious institution in this area. The dispute here can affect both the reputation and service delivery of the institution. That is why we have reached the hospital to understand the reality,' he said.