Why is nurse Jyoti Ranabhat on hunger strike?

Nurse and nursing rights activist Jyoti Ranabhat has entered the sixth day of an indefinite hunger strike, demanding urgent reforms to Nepal's nursing and midwifery sector. Her protest, which began on July 29 (Shrawan 14) at the Nepal Nursing Council premises, has sparked growing support from nurses, healthcare workers, and professional associations across the country.

On Monday, dozens of nurses staged a solidarity demonstration at Bir Hospital in Kathmandu, carrying placards with slogans such as "We Need Salaries, Not Applause," "Stop Labour Exploitation," "Fair Pay Is Our Right," and "Save Nurses, Save Healthcare." Protesters urged the government to begin meaningful dialogue and address Ranabhat's demands without delay.

Ranabhat launched the hunger strike to press the government to implement a 15-point charter of demands, focusing on improving the working conditions and professional rights of nurses and midwives. Her key demands include ensuring the government-mandated minimum salary in both public and private hospitals, ending labour exploitation, abolishing contract-based employment, increasing staffing based on scientific nurse-to-patient ratios, and introducing a Nursing and Midwifery Services Act.

She has also called for 25% risk allowances for nurses working in high-risk departments, better career development opportunities, improved nursing education standards, equal legal protections, and safer working environments. Several in the health sector see poor salaries, limited benefits, and inadequate workplace conditions forcing many skilled nurses to leave Nepal, weakening the country's healthcare system.

Ranabhat has also sought hospitals and colleges with over 100 beds to be mandated with a post of a Chief/director for Nursing and Midwifery to improve patients safety and healthcare quality along with Clinical Governance and Nursing and Midwidery Audit leadership. 

As her health deteriorated, Ranabhat was admitted to Bir Hospital on Saturday. Hospital sources said she was later transferred to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) after her blood pressure and blood sugar levels dropped significantly.

Healthcare professionals supporting the protest said that although the government had previously signed agreements to improve nurses' salaries, service benefits, and career development, many of those commitments remain unfulfilled. Organisations including the Health Assistant Association of Nepal, Nepal Public Health Association, Nepal CMA Association, and the Dental Science Hygienists Association of Nepal have expressed solidarity with Ranabhat and appealed to the government to reach an immediate agreement to protect her life and address the long-standing concerns of Nepal's nursing workforce.

Ranabhat has vowed to continue her hunger strike until the government makes concrete commitments to implement the reforms outlined in her 15-point agenda. She has maintained that she will only accept negotiations involving a high-level committee with representatives from the Ministries of Health, Education, Labour, and Finance. Earlier discussions with a negotiation team formed solely by the Ministry of Health ended without agreement, with Ranabhat expressing dissatisfaction that the government had not presented a clear implementation plan.

In September 2025, over 300 nurses from Manipal Teaching Hospital, including Gandaki Medical College, staged a protest for several days demanding fair wages, risk allowance and night duty allowance. Then Prime Minister Sushila Karki instructed all government, community and private hospitals and medical colleges to ensure nurses receive fair wages and allowances. The government had issued a similar instruction in December 2024.