Why Are Narayani Hospital Doctors Resigning Together? Here's What Happened

Doctors at Narayani Hospital in Birgunj submitted collective resignations on Monday, days after a doctor was violently attacked inside the hospital and following an alleged confrontation with district authorities during negotiations. The resignations were driven by demands for the arrest and prosecution of those involved in the assault, a safer working environment for healthcare workers, and accountability from the Parsa Chief District Officer (CDO) and Superintendent of Police (SP), whom the protesting doctors accuse of mistreating them during talks.

How The Crisis Began

The crisis began after Dr. Pramod Ram was seriously assaulted inside Narayani Hospital when relatives of a patient who died during treatment allegedly vandalised the emergency department and attacked medical staff. The injured doctor was later transferred to Kathmandu for treatment, and the incident immediately triggered protests by doctors and other health workers demanding stronger protection in hospitals.

Mass Resignations At Narayani Hospital

According to hospital representatives, around 40 of the hospital's nearly 70 doctors had submitted resignation letters, while additional signatures were still being collected. Doctors say they can no longer continue working in an environment where they feel unsafe and claim they were further intimidated instead of being protected while seeking justice.

What Happened During The Talks

Doctors say they attended a meeting at the District Administration Office after receiving assurances that those responsible for the assault would be arrested. However, they allege that the discussion turned hostile after demands were raised for accountability from district officials, claiming they were verbally abused, surrounded by police, temporarily detained, and treated like offenders rather than victims. District authorities have not publicly confirmed these allegations.

Hospital Services Severely Affected

Following the resignations and ongoing protests, services at Narayani Hospital have been heavily disrupted. Emergency services have also been affected locally in Birgunj, leaving many patients struggling to receive timely treatment while healthcare workers continue their demonstrations.

Nationwide Protest By Doctors

The Nepal Medical Association (NMA) expanded the protest nationwide by announcing the suspension of all non-emergency hospital services across Nepal on Tuesday. The association says the action is intended to pressure authorities to immediately arrest those responsible for the attack, ensure the safety of healthcare workers, and take action over the alleged mistreatment of doctors during negotiations. Emergency services remain operational.

Government Response

The Ministry of Health has instructed hospitals to maintain healthcare services wherever possible and stated that authorities are working to bring those responsible for the hospital attack to justice. However, protesting doctors insist that they will not fully return to work until they receive concrete assurances of safety and accountability.

Why This Matters

The dispute has grown beyond a single hospital, highlighting wider concerns over the safety of healthcare professionals in Nepal. If the deadlock continues, both doctors and patients could face prolonged disruption to routine healthcare services while pressure mounts on the government to restore trust between medical professionals and state authorities.