KATHMANDU, Oct. 30 -- Health services across the country have been affected after nurses working in private hospitals and colleges went on strike, demanding equal pay, allowances and benefits as nurses employed in government health institutions.

The nurses have launched a protest with a 15-point demand that includes establishing nursing positions in schools, revising laws to ensure long-term management for nurses working in government hospitals and colleges-such as provisions for night duty, career advancement, additional services, and job security.

The government has introduced a program to assign one nurse to every school for student health checkups, and currently, each public school has one nurse hired on a contract basis.

The prote...