- Type
- Act
- Year
- २०७५ BS · 2018 AD
- Status
- In force
- Category
- खण्ड १५: स्वास्थ्य · Volume 15: Health
- Official text
- Official page Official text (PDF)
- English translation
- Official English translation archived copy: the original page is no longer online
Translations may not include later amendments. The Nepali text is the authoritative law.
Analysis drawn from official reports, court rulings and published research, each cited. Figures are being double-checked against the source documents; corrections are welcome.
What does it do?
- Every woman has the right to maternity services. Government and community health facilities that provide delivery services must have a skilled birth attendant and must provide emergency obstetric and newborn care, referring cases they cannot manage; private and non-governmental facilities meeting government standards must also do so. Facilities must record births (and issue a birth certificate to the parents), stillbirths, abortions and maternal deaths.प्रत्येक महिलालाई प्रसूति सेवा पाउने अधिकार छ। प्रसूति सेवा दिने सरकारी तथा सामुदायिक स्वास्थ्य संस्थाले दक्ष स्वास्थ्यकर्मी राख्नुपर्छ र आकस्मिक प्रसूति तथा नवजात शिशु सेवा दिनुपर्छ; आफूले व्यवस्थापन गर्न नसकेमा अर्को संस्थामा प्रेषण गर्नुपर्छ। सरकारले तोकेको मापदण्ड पूरा गरेका निजी तथा गैरसरकारी संस्थाले पनि यस्तो सेवा दिनुपर्छ। स्वास्थ्य संस्थाले जन्म (र आमाबुबालाई जन्म प्रमाणपत्र), मृत शिशु, गर्भपतन र मातृ मृत्युको अभिलेख राख्नुपर्छ। Nepal Law Commission, Government of Nepal Sections 5–9, pp. 4–6
- Everyone has the right to family planning information and services, and no one may be subjected to family planning or contraception by force, threat, inducement or without consent. Women working in government, non-governmental or private organisations are entitled to at least 98 days' paid maternity leave (also after a stillbirth), up to one more year unpaid on a specialist's advice, and breastfeeding arrangements for two years; male employees get 15 days' paid leave when their wife gives birth.प्रत्येक व्यक्तिलाई परिवार नियोजनसम्बन्धी सूचना र सेवा पाउने अधिकार छ, र कसैलाई करकाप, धम्की, प्रलोभन वा मञ्जुरीबिना परिवार नियोजन वा गर्भनिरोधका साधन प्रयोग गराउन पाइँदैन। सरकारी, गैरसरकारी वा निजी संस्थामा काम गर्ने महिलाले कम्तीमा ९८ दिन तलबी प्रसूति बिदा पाउँछन् (मृत शिशु जन्मिए पनि), विशेषज्ञको सिफारिसमा थप एक वर्षसम्म बेतलबी बिदा पाउँछन्, र दुई वर्षसम्म स्तनपानको व्यवस्था हुनुपर्छ; श्रीमती सुत्केरी हुने पुरुष कर्मचारीले १५ दिन तलबी प्रसूति स्याहार बिदा पाउँछन्। Nepal Law Commission, Government of Nepal Sections 10–14, pp. 6–7
- A pregnant woman may have a safe abortion with her consent up to 12 weeks; up to 28 weeks where a licensed doctor finds a risk to her life or health or a disabled child, in cases of rape or incest, where she has HIV or a similar incurable disease, or where the foetus has a serious defect. Abortion is to be provided only by licensed providers at licensed facilities. Abortion outside these grounds, forced abortion and sex-selective abortion are prohibited.गर्भवती महिलाले आफ्नो मञ्जुरीमा १२ हप्तासम्मको गर्भ सुरक्षित रूपमा पतन गराउन पाउँछन्; इजाजतप्राप्त चिकित्सकको रायमा ज्यान वा स्वास्थ्यमा खतरा वा अपाङ्ग बच्चा जन्मने अवस्था, जबरजस्ती करणी वा हाडनाता करणीबाट रहेको गर्भ, एचआईभी वा त्यस्तै निको नहुने रोग, वा भ्रूणमा गम्भीर खराबी भएमा २८ हप्तासम्म गर्भपतन गराउन पाइन्छ। यो सेवा इजाजतप्राप्त संस्थामा इजाजतप्राप्त स्वास्थ्यकर्मीले मात्र दिन्छन्। यी अवस्थाबाहेकको, जबरजस्ती र लिङ्ग पहिचान गरी गरिने गर्भपतन निषेधित छ। Nepal Law Commission, Government of Nepal Sections 15–18, pp. 7–8
- Government and government-funded facilities must provide reproductive health services free of charge; private, non-governmental and community facilities may charge prescribed fees but must keep them affordable and provide a free quota for those who cannot pay. The government must give a maternity allowance to very poor mothers, and federal, provincial and local governments must arrange protection homes for vulnerable women. The Ministry may issue binding directives to health facilities.सरकारी वा सरकारी अनुदान पाउने स्वास्थ्य संस्थाले प्रजनन स्वास्थ्य सेवा निःशुल्क दिनुपर्छ; निजी, गैरसरकारी तथा सामुदायिक संस्थाले तोकिएको शुल्क लिन सक्छन्, तर शुल्क सर्वसुलभ बनाउनुपर्छ र तिर्न नसक्नेका लागि निःशुल्क सेवा (कोटा) दिनुपर्छ। सरकारले अति विपन्न सुत्केरी महिलालाई सुत्केरी भत्ता दिनुपर्छ, र सङ्घ, प्रदेश र स्थानीय तहले जोखिममा परेका महिलाका लागि संरक्षण गृहको व्यवस्था गर्नुपर्छ। मन्त्रालयले स्वास्थ्य संस्थालाई पालना गर्नुपर्ने निर्देशन दिन सक्छ। Nepal Law Commission, Government of Nepal Sections 30–33, p. 13
- Offences under the Act are prosecuted by the State and tried by the District Court, with appeal to the High Court; victims are entitled to compensation from the offender. Health workers and facilities acting in good faith in providing reproductive health services are protected from legal action.यस ऐनअन्तर्गतका कसुरमा नेपाल सरकार वादी हुन्छ र जिल्ला अदालतले मुद्दा हेर्छ; त्यसउपर उच्च अदालतमा पुनरावेदन लाग्छ। पीडितले कसुरदारबाट क्षतिपूर्ति पाउँछन्। असल नियतले प्रजनन स्वास्थ्य सेवा दिने स्वास्थ्य संस्था र स्वास्थ्यकर्मीविरुद्ध कानूनी कारबाही चलाइँदैन। Nepal Law Commission, Government of Nepal Sections 25–27, pp. 11–12; Sections 34–36, pp. 13–14
Gaps, loopholes and improvement ideas
- Capacity Emergency air rescue for pregnant and postpartum women in remote areas takes time and its monitoring needs strengthening. The government runs this programme to give effect to the right to safe motherhood (the Act requires emergency obstetric care and referral under Section 7). The Auditor General's special audit found that 713 women had been rescued from 2075/76 to 2080/81 (Rs 196.6 million spent on 687 rescues in five years); the programme's list of 48 districts included districts with regular road access; an emergency rescue fund promised in the 15th Plan had not been created; approvals were delayed by paperwork, with women taking on average 90 minutes to reach a local health facility and another 30 minutes of administrative coordination, more than the 25-minute flight; and the Ministry had not carried out the monitoring required by its own procedure.दुर्गम क्षेत्रका गर्भवती तथा सुत्केरी महिलाको आकस्मिक हवाई उद्धारमा समय लाग्छ र यसको अनुगमन सुदृढ गर्नुपर्ने अवस्था छ। सुरक्षित मातृत्वको अधिकार कार्यान्वयन गर्न सरकारले यो कार्यक्रम चलाएको हो (ऐनको दफा ७ ले आकस्मिक प्रसूति सेवा र प्रेषण अनिवार्य गरेको छ)। महालेखापरीक्षकको विशेष लेखापरीक्षणअनुसार २०७५/७६ देखि २०८०/८१ सम्म ७१३ महिलाले हवाई उद्धार सेवा पाए (पाँच वर्षमा ६८७ जनाको उद्धारमा रु. १९ करोड ६६ लाख खर्च); कार्यक्रम लागू ४८ जिल्लाको सूचीमा नियमित सडक पहुँच भएका जिल्ला पनि परेका छन्; पन्ध्रौँ योजनामा उल्लेख भएको आकस्मिक उद्धार कोष स्थापना भएको छैन; कागजी प्रक्रियाले स्वीकृतिमा ढिलाइ हुन्छ, महिलालाई स्थानीय स्वास्थ्य संस्थासम्म पुग्न औसत ९० मिनेट र प्रशासनिक समन्वयमा थप ३० मिनेट लाग्छ, जुन २५ मिनेटको उडानभन्दा बढी हो; र मन्त्रालयले आफ्नै कार्यविधिअनुसारको अनुगमन गरेको छैन। Office of the Auditor General, Nepal · Nepal Law Commission, Government of Nepal OAG 62nd Annual Report, Ministry of Women, Children and Senior Citizens chapter, special audit 'Air rescue of pregnant and postpartum women', paras 17–19, 21–22, 29–31, printed pp. 404–410 (PDF pp. 434–440); Act s. 7, p. 5
Ideas to fix it
- Set up the emergency rescue fund, review the districts covered, streamline approvals through an integrated system with digital pre-approval, arrange 24-hour (including night) rescue with other air operators, and monitor each rescued woman's outcome.आकस्मिक उद्धार कोष स्थापना गर्ने, कार्यक्रमले समेट्ने जिल्ला पुनरावलोकन गर्ने, एकीकृत प्रणाली र डिजिटल पूर्वअनुमतिमार्फत स्वीकृति प्रक्रिया छरितो बनाउने, अन्य हवाई सेवा प्रदायकसँग सहकार्य गरी रातिसहित २४ सै घण्टा उद्धार सेवा दिने, र उद्धार गरिएका प्रत्येक महिलाको अवस्थाको अनुगमन गर्ने। Proposed by: Office of the Auditor General (62nd Annual Report) Office of the Auditor General, Nepal
Where does it conflict with other laws?
No conflict with another law is documented in the sources we have reviewed so far.