The Ministry of Health's proposal to add healthcare personnel in federal hospitals has stalled due to the Ministry of Finance's disagreement
Nepmal Health News, Kathmandu:The plan to expand healthcare personnel to address the shortage in federal hospitals has been stalled due to indecision from the Ministry of Finance. The Ministry of Health and Population had prepared a new Organization and Management (O&M) survey and submitted a proposal to add 2,102 personnel to the Ministry of Finance on Jestha 28 (mid-June). However, instead of approving the file, the Finance Ministry returned it on Ashar 11 (late June) with a suggestion for revision.
Health Minister Pradeep Paudel had initiated the plan as a long-term solution to address the shortage of manpower in federal hospitals. With the increasing number of patients, the Ministry had formed a task force led by Joint Secretary Rishi Acharya to prepare for expanding the posts of doctors, nurses, and other technical staff.
The report prepared by the task force stated that technical manpower is essential at the hospital level and that it can be gradually increased over a five-year period.
However, the Ministry of Finance, while returning the proposal, raised several concerns. It noted that the proposal does not clearly include all health bodies; that the policy on including federal positions in provincial and local hospitals is unclear; and that the proposal lacks clarity on how the long-term financial burden on institutions under development committees and academies will be managed. Additionally, the Finance Ministry expressed concern that the proposed staffing is more focused on urban areas than remote regions.
From the perspective of the Health Ministry, this proposal is part of a long-standing effort to resolve workforce management issues. However, the concerns raised by the Finance Ministry have once again thrown the process into uncertainty. The Ministry will now have to address those concerns and submit a revised proposal. Meanwhile, the workload in federal hospitals is likely to increase further, which could impact the quality of public health services.
