The Nepal Medical Association (NMA), the umbrella body of doctors across the country, has said operating outpatient department (OPD) services on Sundays is not feasible for now, citing a lack of manpower in hospitals.

Following the government’s decision to enforce a two-day weekend (Saturday and Sunday), hospitals decided to shut OPD services on both days. Considering the potential impact on health services, the Ministry of Health and Population directed hospitals to operate OPD services on Sundays to ensure uninterrupted service delivery. However, the Association said the arrangement cannot be implemented due to staff shortages.

The Association said doctors and health workers are already providing round-the-clock services, including on-call duties, ward rounds and emergency care, in addition to regular hours from 9 am to 5 pm. It said adding extra workload risks affecting service quality.

For staff management, the ministry directed that employees be given an additional day off besides Saturday, or compensatory leave.

However, the Association termed compensatory leave impractical, citing past legal complications. It said different weekly holidays across hospitals would create confusion among patients, increase inconvenience and affect service delivery.

It also said that while the two-day weekend was justified due to fuel shortages, extending OPD hours would increase fuel consumption, making the measure impractical.

The Association warned that implementing the decision without adequate manpower would disrupt the health system. It has urged the ministry to reconsider, warning that otherwise doctors and health workers would be compelled to launch protests, for which the ministry would be responsible.

Correction: 

An earlier version of this story erroneously said 'Nepal Media Association' in the headline.