Appointment of chairpersons in government hospitals of Lumbini Province done through collusion between UML and Congress
Nepal Health News, Butwal – According to an agreement between the ruling CPN-UML and Nepali Congress, party-affiliated individuals have been appointed as chairpersons of the Development Committees of 13 government hospitals in Lumbini Province.
Unlike previous instances where the appointments were made through a Cabinet decision and publicly announced, this time the appointments were made directly by the Ministry of Health, sources said.
Although the Ministry of Health is currently under the responsibility of UML’s Khem Saru, leaders from both the Nepali Congress and UML were reportedly involved in the decision-making process. The appointments, however, have not yet been officially made public.
Who was appointed to lead the key hospitals?
According to reliable sources, Ajayman Shrestha from UML has been reappointed as the chairperson of Butwal Provincial Hospital, the largest in the province. He previously held the same position. The following appointments have also been made:
From the UML:
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Gulmi District Hospital: Rajendra Prasad Pandey
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Rampur Hospital, Palpa: Yubaraj Khanal
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Arghakhanchi District Hospital: Balaram Mishra
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Kapilvastu District Hospital: Ranjikumar Verma
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Prithvichandra Hospital, Nawalparasi: Jagdish Chaudhary
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Bhalubang Hospital, Dang: Suryaprakash Sharma
From the Nepali Congress:
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Rapti Provincial Hospital, Dang: Mahendra Raj Lamichhane
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Pyuthan District Hospital: Krishna Prasad Basel
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Rolpa District Hospital: Sher Bahadur Thapa
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Bhim Hospital, Bhairahawa: Kulprasad Nyaupane
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Palpa Hospital: Ajay Karmacharya
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Rukum East Hospital: Lokendra Shah
Appointments are still pending for two Ayurvedic hospitals in Dang and Rupandehi.
Coalition partners express dissatisfaction
Other parties in the ruling coalition—such as the Janamat Party, Nagarik Unmukti Party, Loktantrik Samajwadi Party, and Janata Samajbadi Party Nepal—have expressed dissatisfaction, claiming they were not included in the power-sharing arrangement.
Chandrakesh Gupta of the Janamat Party questioned the reappointment of the same individuals, stressing that experienced and qualified persons should have been appointed in sensitive sectors like healthcare.
Dissolution and reappointment
On Baisakh 16 (early May), the provincial government dissolved 14 hospital development committees. The current appointments come after the expiration of the terms of the previous chairpersons, who had been appointed on Kartik 7, 2080 (October 2023).
