Kathmandu, July 15 -- Last month, on a Sunday, a 29-year-old woman from Abu Dhabi, UAE, called the hotline for the telemedicine service run by the Bir Hospital.

The woman, who hails from Kailali district and works as a domestic help in the UAE, had been suffering from cervicitis, a condition that causes severe abnormal vaginal discharge and abdominal and pelvic pain.

"She said she had also tried to call on Saturday and made every effort to contact a doctor, but couldn't get through," said a health worker at Bir Hospital, asking not to be named, as he is not authorised to speak to the media. "Since the government introduced a two-day weekend in April, the telemedicine service for migrant workers has been available only on working days [M...