Jyoti Ranabhat, a nurse who has been on an indefinite hunger strike since July 30 demanding that the government address her 15-point demand, was admitted to the intensive care unit at Bir Hospital on Monday after her health deteriorated.

Ranabhat tested positive for ketones and showed low urine output, low blood glucose and blood pressure, along with a slight decline in consciousness, according to supporters of her protest.

“Her condition is serious, but the government is still not taking her demands seriously,” said Kabita Sitaula, a nurse supporting Ranabhat’s strike.

Ranabhat launched the hunger strike demanding legal and policy reforms to improve the working conditions, pay, and professional security of nursing and midwifery personnel.

Her demands include legal provisions ensuring that nursing and midwifery workers in government institutions, private and community hospitals, medical colleges, and educational institutions receive minimum remuneration, benefits, and allowances commensurate with their qualifications, skills, and responsibilities.

She has also demanded the creation of adequate nursing and midwifery positions in all health institutions based on scientifically-determined nurse-to-patient ratios. She has called for the establishment of positions for specialist nurses, specialist midwives, advanced practice nurses, midwife practitioners, and nurse practitioners according to qualifications and areas of expertise.

Other demands include revisions of discriminatory provisions related to nursing and midwifery in the Health Service Act and other existing laws to ensure equal opportunities, fair promotion, leadership development, and permanent, safe, and dignified employment. She has also called for an end to the prolonged use of contract appointments for nursing and midwifery personnel.

Sitaula said they held talks with Health Secretary Dr Bikash Devkota on Monday, but officials failed to present any concrete plan to address Ranabhat’s demands.

She said another round of talks could be held on Tuesday evening but expressed uncertainty over whether the discussions would yield any breakthrough.

According to Sitaula, ministry officials said they could not immediately address Ranabhat’s demands and would need further consultation with the agencies concerned.

Meanwhile, MBBS student Dilli Harijan of Kathmandu Medical College has also started a hunger strike from Tuesday, demanding that interns at private medical colleges receive stipends on par with those paid at government-run institutions. Harijan began his protest at 10:25 am, arguing that the Rs10,000 monthly stipend paid by private medical colleges is unfair compared with the amount provided by state-run institutions.

"Private medical colleges provide only Rs10,000 a month as an internship stipend to MBBS students. That is unjust and contrary to the recommendations of the government-formed task force," Harijan told the Post. "Someone has to take the initiative to pressure the government into implementing the recommendations of its own panel. I decided to step forward."

State-run medical colleges pay intern doctors a stipend equivalent to 50 percent of the salary of an eighth-level medical officer. The committee formed by the Ministry of Education and Sports has recommended extending the same benefit to interns at private colleges.

Harijan said around 2,000 MBBS and BDS students who are required to complete internships, support his initiative, although all of them could not participate in the protest.

He said that there was no point in holding talks with government representatives because the issue was already clear and there was nothing to explain.

“What is needed is a meeting of the Medical Education Commission, whose chairman is the prime minister himself, to decide to implement the recommendation on equal internship stipends,” he said. “I will end my hunger strike once the commission takes that decision.”

Internships are a mandatory component of medical education. Without completing them, students cannot earn the practical marks required to graduate.