Nepal's doctors, nurses, and health workers are working 36–72 hour shifts with no legal protection. Burnout, medical errors, and broken families are the cost. It's time to change the system — scientifically, sustainably, and now.
Join thousands demanding safe, scientific duty standards
4,218 people have signed
SSS Fix Duty Hour is a people-powered movement to establish evidence-based, internationally aligned duty hour standards for every healthcare worker in Nepal — from village health posts to teaching hospitals.
Nepal's healthcare system relies on the silent suffering of its workers. Long, unregulated shifts don't just burn out doctors — they put every patient at risk. We demand change backed by science, not tradition.
Gather stories, signatures, and evidence from across Nepal's healthcare system.
Mobilize workers, students, families, and communities to demand reform.
Present research and petition to Parliament and the Ministry of Health.
Align Nepal's duty hour rules with WHO and international medical norms.
Unscientific, unregulated duty hours harm both healthcare workers and the patients they serve. The evidence is clear — change is overdue.
After 17 hours without sleep, cognitive performance is equivalent to a blood alcohol level of 0.05%. After 24 hours — 0.10%.
Chronic sleep deprivation leads to depression, anxiety, PTSD, and a 2x higher suicide risk among overworked healthcare workers.
Fatigued doctors make more medication errors, miss diagnoses, and have slower response times — directly impacting patient outcomes.
Nepal has no law specifying maximum duty hours for healthcare workers. Hospitals set their own rules — or none at all.
Healthcare workers across Nepal are sharing their experiences. These are their words.
"I worked 48 hours straight without proper rest. On the last shift, I almost administered the wrong drug dose. I caught it just in time. That fear never leaves me. This is not how medicine should be practiced."
"My daughter asked me why I never come home to tuck her in. I had no answer. I work 36-hour shifts, come home, and I'm too exhausted to even talk. We're giving our lives to this system and nobody is protecting ours."
"Three of my classmates dropped out of residency last year. Not because of academics — because of the duty schedule. We are losing talented doctors not to other countries, but to exhaustion inside our own hospitals."
We call on Nepal's Ministry of Health, Ministry of Labor, and Parliament to immediately act on these evidence-based demands.
Enact legislation limiting all healthcare worker duty to a maximum of 48 hours per week, aligned with WHO and EU Working Time Directive standards.
Mandate that no single continuous duty shift may exceed 24 hours, with mandatory 8-hour rest periods between all shifts.
Establish a government-funded body to monitor duty hour compliance in all public and private hospitals across Nepal.
Address the root cause by mandating minimum nurse-to-patient and doctor-to-patient ratios at all licensed healthcare facilities.
Fund and implement mandatory mental health screening and support programs for all healthcare workers in Nepal.
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Peer-reviewed research, global comparisons, and local data — all in one place.
Studies from Harvard Medical School show sustained wakefulness beyond 16 hours impairs decision-making, working memory, and reaction time — all critical for clinical care.
The EU Working Time Directive caps all workers at 48hrs/week. US Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education caps residents at 80hrs/week with max 24-hr shifts. Nepal: zero legal limit.
A 2023 survey of 450 medical residents across Nepal found 89% worked over 72 hrs/week, and 62% had experienced a near-miss clinical incident due to fatigue.
With supporters from 45 districts of Nepal, our petition has crossed the 4,000 signature milestone. Healthcare workers, students, and families are uniting to demand that Parliament table a healthcare worker duty hour bill in the upcoming session.
Read Full UpdateWhether you have 5 minutes or 5 hours a week to give — there is a role for you in this movement.
Sign, share, and join our healthcare professional network to advocate from within the system.
Share content, run social media campaigns, and help our message reach more people online.
Contribute data, research, and analysis to strengthen our scientific and policy case.
Lead local chapters, organize events, and mobilize your community district by district.
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