Nepal doctors end strike after promise of reform

Thousands of doctors in Nepal ended a five-day strike on Friday after the government assured them there would be changes in the country's medical education system.

The protest, which caused major slowdowns at hospitals across Nepal, was triggered by a physician who went on a 15-day hunger strike to demand the removal of the government-appointed head of Tribhuwan University Teaching Hospital.

The protesters said that political appointees should not hold top positions at government hospitals, and that schools must be independent.

The government agreed to remove the executive and assured there would not be political interference in the medical education system. The government also pledged to form a committee that would recommend turning the government institute into an independent university.

The strike had left tens of thousands of patients with access only to emergency care. Nepal is a poor country where people often travel long distances from rural areas to seek medical care. The strike began Sunday and around 4,000 doctors took part.

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