The Patan High Court on Sunday issued an interim order against the agitating staff of KIST Medical College, directing their trade union to furnish a clarification regarding its protest and allow the hospital to continue operations.

A division bench of Judges Bhola Nath Chaulagain and Rishi Prasad Adhikari directed the KIST Medical College Health Professional Trade Union to allow the administration to run the hospital without hindrance. 

In its judgement, the court has said that the hospital, being the essential services, cannot be shut down, Deputy Registrar at the Patan High Court Dhurba Upreti said afterwards. 

The order has also asked the agitating staff members to furnish a clarification for the shut-down and immediately allow the hospital to resume its services.

The Gwarko-based college had moved the court after its hospital had been shut for a month by the agitating staffers, demanding a hike in salary and allowances. The hospital’s emergency unit had been shut as a result.

The situation spiralled out of control after staffers, except doctors and senior administrators, started boycotting their work.

According to agitating workers, they have put forth a 15-point demand mainly regarding their salary and additional benefits. They claim that they resorted to shutting down of the hospital after the administration ignored their demands when they pressed for their demands in a peaceful manner.

The hospital administration has said they are not in a position to increase the salary as the IoM has decreased their medical seats for the MBBS programme from 135 students to 90. Affiliated to the Institute of Medicine, TU, the college runs undergraduate programmes, including MBBS.

Students at the medical college said their studies have been severely affected by the ongoing protest.

The continued shut-down of the hospital has led to postponement of the practical examinations of MBBS final year and BDS fourth year, while halting MBBS second year classes.