Resident doctors working in private medical colleges in Nepal have threatened to abandon their duties and protest in the street if their demand for a monthly minimum allowance of Rs48,000, equivalent to the government-employed doctors, is not met.

In a joint statement released on Tuesday, six associations representing resident doctors emphasised the need for parity in allowances between private and government sectors. They called on private medical colleges to allocate seats for MD/MS courses only after ensuring that monthly living allowances equivalent to an officer (eighth level in administrative hierarchy) are provided.

This demand follows a prior decision by the Medical Education Commission, which had initially mandated private colleges to provide the stipulated allowances before seat allocation. However, under directives from Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, the commission reversed its decision and proceeded with seat allocation, sparking widespread dissatisfaction among healthcare professionals.

Leaders from various organisations, including Dr Sheshraj Ghimire of the Safe Workplace Struggle Committee for Health Workers and Dr Uttam Chaulagai, president of the National Association of Resident Doctors, have expressed their discontent with the government’s move. Other signatories of the statement included representatives from Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital, Patan Academy of Health Sciences, and Pokhara Academy of Health Sciences, among others.

The resident doctors have urged the government to prioritise implementing the agreement reached on September 30, 2023, which promised uniformity in allowances for resident and intern doctors across private and public sectors. Currently, private medical colleges provide allowances ranging from Rs19,000 to Rs24,000—far below the agreed standard.

The doctors have accused private institutions of exploiting them by withholding fair allowances. They stated unequivocally that they would be compelled to halt work and launch protests if the government proceeded without addressing their concerns.

“We cannot accept the allocation of seats without a guarantee of Rs48,000 monthly allowances,” the statement read. “If our plea is ignored, we will have no choice but to quit our jobs and take to the streets.”

The controversy deepened after Sunday’s meeting at the prime minister’s residence in Baluwatar, where the Medical Education Commission decided to allow private colleges to claim MD/MS seats without ensuring the prescribed allowances. The decision has drawn sharp criticism from resident doctors, who described it as a step backwards in safeguarding their rights and welfare.