Kathmandu. The chiefs of the local levels will now be represented in the management committee of the hospitals operated by the Government of Nepal as federal hospitals.
As per the draft of the Unified Hospital Operation and Management Act, 2082 BS, the hospital operation and management committee members will include the head of the local level or the people’s representative appointed by him.
The seven-member management committee will consist of chairperson appointed by the Ministry of Health and Population, head of local level, head of nursing department, senior doctors, experienced persons active in protecting consumer interest, person with permanent address at the local level where the hospital is located and chief member secretary of the hospital.
The aim is to encourage the local society to take ownership of the hospital as the head of the local level as well as two more local people are also expected to participate in the meeting.
However, when the locals are completely dominant in the management of the hospital, the working staff of the hospital representing in the management committee, the head of the nursing department and the senior doctors can be forced to take decisions that suit their own interests by putting undue pressure.
There is no doubt that the person appointed by the ministry should be the active cadre of the political party. Apart from this, there is a risk that the Hospital Development Committee may be in the grip of over-politicisation as one local is said to be active in protecting consumer interests, one of them is said to be a social worker at the local level where the hospital is located, but both of them are committed to the ruling political party and appoint as many organized cadres as possible.
Although Masyada has tried to address the existing weaknesses related to the structure of the Hospital Development Committee, there is a risk that the hospital will be completely occupied by the leaders and cadres of political parties in the local level where there is a weak bureaucracy or hospital administration.
In order to prevent such a situation, it is necessary to ensure that two local people other than the chairman appointed by the ministry should be not members as active cadres of any political party.
It has been proposed to form a hospital director’s committee at the level focused on the draft of this Act. which will make policy decisions.
After the implementation of the act, the formation order related to the development of 15 federal hospitals including Bharatpur Hospital Chitwan, Narayani Hospital Birgunj, Kanti Children’s Hospital Development Committee, Paropakar Maternity and Gynaecology Hospital Development Committee, Bheri Hospital Development Committee, which are currently under the federal government, will be revoked.
