The government and agitating doctors on Saturday reached a six-point agreement, bringing an end to the protest ongoing for the past five days against recent assaults on doctors.

Following the agreement, the agitating doctors have withdrawn their protest programmes.

The deal was reached during the talks at the Ministry of Home Affairs in the presence of Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Narayankaji Shrestha.

An agreement has been reached between the government and the agitating side to effectively implement the Security of the Health Workers and Health Organisations Act 2010. As per the deal, the government has agreed to prosecute those involved in attacks on doctors and health workers as per the act.

Likewise, the government has expressed commitment to provide reliable security arrangements to doctors and health institutions including Manipal Hospital, Pokhara.

The government has expressed its commitment to revise the law to include a demand by agitating doctors for a jail term of over three years against assailants. As per the deal, the Ministry of Health and Population will start the process within a week for amending the existing legal provisions.

Doctors across the country had been protesting for the past five days shutting down all health services except emergency care to protest attacks on doctors at Manipal Hospital in Pokhara and other health institutions.

Fifty-seven-year-old Sukamaya Dura had died while undergoing treatment at the Pokhara-based hospital on Monday. The relatives of the Lamjung local had physically assaulted doctors and medical staff following the incident.

While the accused are yet to be identified, police have taken one Binaya Gurung into police custody for further investigation.

Earlier on September 17, the Nepal Medical Association had halted services at all hospitals across the country, except for emergency care, in protest against the attacks on doctors in Hetauda.