Even ten months after the devastating earthquake, private hospitals are reluctant to submit impact assessment report of their buildings to the Department of Urban Development and Building Construction’s (DUDBC).

The report that deals with the impact sustained by the hospital buildings remains vital information for reconstruction of the facilities and ensuring safety to the public. With hospitals seeing a great flow of patients and visitors, safety of these people remains a major concern.   

“This is negligence on the safety of the public,” said Raju Man Manandhar, division chief at the DUDBC. Despite putting up a public notice, few hospitals have submitted reports about quakes’ effect on their buildings and reconstruction plans to the DUDBC. 

According to Manandhar, Swayambhu-based Manmohan Memorial Hospital is the only one to get clearance to resume its services. 

Initially, the DUDBC’s jurisdiction to deal with private and commercial property was restricted by the Building Act which was later eased by the Ministry of Urban Development (MoUD). 

Defying the government notice, all the hospitals have resumed their services apparently after seeking approval from the Health Ministry. In May last year, the Health Ministry had directed private hospitals and nursing homes to operate from their usual station only after ascertaining the safety of their buildings. Even as the ministry was assessing hospitals’ reports, they were allowed to resume their services.

However, the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure insists that they are the main authority on construction and verification and every hospital should go through the channel. 

“The Health Ministry has failed to coordinate with us over cases related to private hospitals,” said Padam Kumar Mainalee, spokesperson for the MoUD. “We found it very surprising that health officials have verified the buildings were fit for operation.”

Officials believe that hospitals’ reluctance to submit the report is apparently due to the fact that most of them have built their buildings without DUDBC permit. Since many of them are housed in residential buildings, it is difficult for the officials to approve their safety.

Dr Gunaraj Lohani, chief of curative division at the Ministry of Health, said they had directed the private hospitals to submit the detailed assessment of their buildings to the DUDBC. “After the preliminary assessment, we asked them to operate. But 

we have already decided to forward it to Urban Development Ministry for further survey and reconstruction,” said Dr Lohani.