The Nepal Medical Association (NMA) has decided to halt protest programmes at hospitals that it had planned to start on Tuesday.

NMA General Secretary Dr Lochan Karki said on Monday they decided to withdraw the protest programmes after the government authorities, including Health Minister Upendra Yadav, assured during hours-long talks that the amendment proposal had been forwarded as per the association’s demands.

“The NMA will be forced to come up with further protest programmes if the Act is not amended as per the commitment made by the Ministry of Health and Population,” said Dr Karki.

In a press statement on Monday, the NMA has urged all health workers and doctors to continue with their ongoing nationwide programmes to mount pressure on the government until the Act is amended.

On September 3, the umbrella body of doctors in the country had postponed its phase-wise protest programmes by a week after an agreement with the government on amending the provisions of the newly-enforced Criminal Code related to medical negligence and recklessness by doctors.

NMA President Dr Mukti Ram Shrestha had warned the government of halting all non-emergency medical services across the country from Tuesday if the government missed this deadline.