The federal government has started the process to establish a medical college in Karnali Province. 

The proposed college will be built inside six community forests that fall under Birendranagar Municipality Ward No. 11, 12, and 13 in Surkhet district. 

“The federal government has already sent a project letter to the provincial government to operate the college,” said Dal Rawal, minister for social development.

The Ministry of Forest and Environment has already given permission to conduct an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for the project. 

“The federal government has allocated around Rs 1 million to conduct EIA and come up with a detailed project report,” said Jeet Bahadur Shah, the project chief.

He added that they will soon start fencing the area for construction.

The provincial government will also support the federal government to build the college. 

Meanwhile, the provincial government has decided to upgrade the Provincial Hospital in Surkhet and run it as Karnali Medical College.

A Cabinet meeting on Wednesday permitted the Surkhet Medical College Infrastructures Construction Development Project to establish the medical college.

“The federal government had notified us to establish the provincial hospital as Surkhet Medical College, an upgraded teaching hospital,” Rawal said.

Nawaraj Rawat, minister of state for health and population, said that provincial hospital could be developed as a medical college. 

“It is necessary to establish a medical college in Karnali to solve the prevailing health problems,” said Rawat, adding that doctors quotas will also be increased in Karnali soon.