Kathmandu, May 13: Minister for Labour, Employment and Social Security, Gokarna Bista, has said that labour audit of government and private hospitals, as well as clinics, would be done within one and half months.
Addressing the programme organised by Nepal Nursing Association on the occasion of International Nursing Day here on Sunday (May 12), Minister Bista said that the labour audit is to be done in order to get information whether or not nurses, health workers and other workers working in this sector have got service and facilities determined by Labour Act as well as to book such hospitals not providing service and facilities.
The Ministry has done a labor audit of 123 institutions of the country so far. Saying not getting the minimum service and facilities in the health sector determined by the Labour Act was unfortunate, he expressed the belief that the labour audit would help to end it. The Labour Minister further said that the social security program based on contribution should be implemented in all sectors effectively.
There are some 87,000 nurses in Nepal, according to the Nepal Nursing Council. Of them, around 8,000 are in government services. The United Nations recently honored Nepal Nursing Association after highly appreciating the contribution of Nepali nurses in search, rescue, and treatment after devastating Gorkha earthquake.
Similarly, Chair of Nepal Nursing Association, Prof Tara Pokharel said that demands of government nurses have not been addressed in employ adjustment and added that there are no criteria on the number of patients to be looked after by a nurse. RSS