Health worker assaulted in Dhanusha, enraged staff stage sit-in protest

Nepal Health News, Dhanusha – Health workers stationed at Bateshwar Rural Municipality in Dhanusha district have been staging a sit-in protest for the past five days by halting health services, in protest against the mistreatment they faced.

The protest began after an incident on Shrawan 23 (early August), in which Sunita Singh, a staff member at the Shantipur Health Post in Bateshwar-5, was allegedly physically assaulted by three local individuals. The health workers became agitated as no legal action was initiated against the accused.

According to reports, Dara Singh, Ali Hussain, and Ravi Mandal physically attacked Singh during a dispute.

Head of the health post, Raj Kumar Mahato, stated that despite the victim submitting a memorandum to the District Administration Office and District Police Office demanding action against the culprits, no legal steps have been taken so far. The staff also filed a complaint at the Area Police Office in Sakhuwan Mahendranagar, but it has reportedly not been registered, leaving the employees dissatisfied.

Since last Monday, all health workers have been staging a sit-in with a three-point demand: immediate action against the culprits, guaranteed safety for health workers, and a fear-free working environment.

According to Mahato, the dispute began over the relocation of a peepal tree situated in front of the Shantipur Health Post, which eventually escalated into a physical altercation.