KATHMANDU: Nurse Jyoti Ranabhat continued her indefinite hunger strike for a sixth consecutive day on Tuesday after talks with the Ministry of Health and Population failed to produce an agreement.
Negotiations held on Monday explored a draft settlement, but Ranabhat’s representatives declined to endorse it, saying it lacked clear guarantees for implementation. Discussions on the draft are expected to continue on Tuesday.
The talks were attended by Jeeta Baral, Kalpana Rijal, Kabita Sitoula and Indra Prasad Aryal on behalf of Ranabhat, while the ministry was represented by Health Secretary Dr Bikash Devkota, Additional Secretary Dr Sangita Mishra, Health Minister’s Chief Adviser Dr Manohar Pradhan, and officials from the ministry’s legal division.
Meanwhile, Ranabhat’s supporters alleged that routine blood tests for the nurse, who is receiving treatment in an intensive care unit (ICU), were temporarily withheld after the hospital cited unpaid fees. They claimed the tests were carried out only after supporters paid the required charges.
