KATHMANDU, DEC 28 - The Cabinet on Monday formed a task force including five ministers to address the demands of Nepal Medical Association (NMA), the umbrella-body of doctors.

An emergency Cabinet meeting chaired by Deputy Prime Minister  Bijaya Kumar Gachhadar, who is acting prime minister in absence of PM Madhav Kumar Nepal, formed a task force comprising of Health Minister Umakanta Chaudhary, Minister for Law Prem Bahadur Singh, Minister for General Administration Rabindra Shrestha, Minister for Finance Surendra Pandey and Health Secretary Sudha Sharma today.

The task force has been formed after agitating doctors called for the closure of all hospitals in the country from today putting forth nine demands that include upgrading the post of doctors, waiving the five percent extra tax levied on health professionals and private health institutions, and to ensure the security of health professionals.

On Sunday, Deputy Prime Minister Bijaya Kumar Gachhadar, Health Minister Chaudhary, Health Secretary Dr. Praveen Misra had met with the agitating doctors but the talks ended inconclusively.

The cabinet meeting was called today to give a theoretical consent for fulfilling the demands.

Meanwhile, NMA Chairman Dr. Kedarnarsingh KC remarked that the cabinet decision to form a taskforce to adress the doctors demands was 'incomplete'.

He said that the agitation would continue and added that a meeting of the NMA working committee later today would take a decision on the regard.

Posted on: 2009-12-28 08:36

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