Skip to main content

Minister Thapa vents his anger at bureaucratic red tape

Health Minister Gagan Thapa has expressed discontent at bureaucratic red tape that has affected many of his programmes on the health sector reform. Taking to the social media on Wednesday, Minister Thapa commented that his efforts and vision to provide specialty care in each district hospital from February 12 had been delayed, what he believes, due to inconsiderate nature of the office bearers.
Minister Thapa was referring to his ambitious plan of catering speciality healthcare services in district hospitals. The ministry had collaborated with the National Academy of Health Sciences, Bir Hospital and Institute of Medicine to begin the specialty services in 13 district hospitals in Sarlahi, Dhading, Rolpa, Gorkha, Arghakhanchi, Udaypur, Dhankuta, Nawalparasi, Saptari, Mahendranagar, Dang, Nuwakot and Baglung. For all his plan to kick off the much-hyped programme, including a full-fledged emergency services, othropaedic and pediatric services from Sunday, no hospitals were able to provide the service.

According to the concept, the Kathmandu-based government hospitals will send their specialist and resident doctors to the districts and begin the services. “While we are too serious on our work, the other party who is tasked with delivering the health services must have belittled our initiative,” said Minister Thapa. “I am not bringing a populist programme that might be faced with scepticism from the bureaucracy. I am working to provide quality healthcare in each district and this is the fundamental mandate of my ministry. I am surprised officials have failed to meet my pace; either they are not willing to or they are not competent enough. “But this should stop and as a health minister I am committed to taking action against those who don’t deliver on my vision.”
To support the collaboration, the Ministry of Health has already begun a process to establish pre-fabricated operating theaters designs of which have been ready. It is set to invite bids soon. However, this is not the first time that Minister Thapa has rued on bureaucracy and how it has been creating hurdles on implementing many programmes. For instance, despite releasing over Rs500 million to procure drugs for free distribution in the districts, very few of them have purchased the medicines. In a similar statement in January 31, Thapa had said that despite earmarking enough amount, “many of the officials have been unable and unwilling to procure medicines.”
Even in a nutrition conference held in Pokhara on 13 January, where chief of public health offices across the country were summoned, Minister Thapa had warned that those officials who do not heed to his instructions will have to face dire consequences. The procurement of drugs expedited after the warning, yet the momentum slowed down. “People have every right to access quality health services and I am committed to delivering it through many innovative approaches,” said Thapa. “But without support from bureaucracy, we will reach nowhere and all our efforts might be useless.”

Manish Gautam
The Kathmandu Post
16/02/2017

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

India Government raises grant for Nepal by 17 percent

India Government raises grant for Nepal by 17 percent The Indian government has pledged to extend 17 percent more in financial aid to Nepal in the next fiscal year, indicating greater enthusiasm of the southern neighbour to support the landlocked country’s development endeavours. The Indian government has allocated a grant of IRs3.75 billion (Rs6 billion) for Nepal in 2017-18, as against IRs3.20 in 2016-17. The allocation was made through the Union Budget 2017-18 launched by Indian Finance Minister Arjun Jaitely on Wednesday.  In addition to the amount, India has also pledged to extend a grant of IRs113.30 million to Nepal Police Academy in 2017-18, the Indian budget document says. The grant pledged for Nepal in 2017-18 is second highest among South Asian countries, with Bhutan leading the pack. The Indian government has expressed commitment to extend IRs37.14 billion in grant to Bhutan in 2017-18. The amount, however, is 4 percent lower than in 2016-17. In total, Ind...
Post a Comment
Read more

Nepal to discuss new power trade guidelines with India

The Energy Ministry is planning to hold talks with the Indian Power Ministry over its recently issued discriminatory guidelines on cross-border power trade which prohibit private and third country hydropower developers in Nepal from exporting electricity to India with a one-time approval. According to the Guidelines on Cross-Border Trade of Electricity published by the Indian government last Monday, only companies in Nepal which are wholly owned by the Indian government or the public sector, or private companies with a 51 percent or higher Indian stake would be eligible to export power to India. These companies will be given a one-time approval to sell power to India, according to the guidelines. Also, companies owned or controlled by the Nepali government will be allowed to sell power to India after getting a one-time approval from the Indian authorities, according to the new rules. However, private companies owned by Nepali or third country developers wishing to export power to...
Post a Comment
Read more

Protests, clashes in Province 5 districts over demarcations

With the government bent on tabling the constitution amendment bill in parliament, protests have intensified again in various districts of western and mid-western regions after a gap of few days. Protests that had been toned down earlier in view of the hardships caused to the locals, have now been intensified from Friday with an announcement of a three-day general strike in all districts of Province 5. 'Joint struggle committees' comprising leaders of major political parties in the districts--Nawalparasi, Rupandehi, Kapilvastu, Dang, Banke, Bardiya, Rukum, Rolpa, Pyuthan, Arghakhanchi, Gulmi and Palpa--announced the strike against government preparations to table the amendment proposal in parliament. The strike has largely affected vehicular movement while schools, government offices, factories and markets remained closed.  Tensions ran high in Gulmi, Nepalgunj of Banke and Rolpa after the protestors prevented locals from using all kinds of vehicles. Over 24 prot...
Post a Comment
Read more