Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, who is also the chancellor of the National Academy of Medical Sciences, on Tuesday appointed Dr DN Shah as the vice-chancellor of the academy.

Shah was one of the three candidates recommended by a three-member committee led by Minister for Health and Population Upendra Yadav. The committee included Dr Sushil Nath Pyakurel, chief specialist at the ministry, and Dr Dharma Kanta Baskota, chairman of the Nepal Medical Council. The post of the vice-chancellor at the academy had been lying vacant for the past five months.

The two other recommended candidates were Dr Dhundi Poudel and Dr Ajit Rayamajhi.

A total of 22 candidates had applied for the post.“The ministry had been informed about the appointment on Tuesday evening,” Mahesh Chaurasiya, personal assistant to Minister Yadav told the Post.

Shah was working as the Head of Department of Ophthalmology in Grande International Hospital. Government Doctors’ Association of Nepal (GODAN), an association of resident doctors of the National Academy of Medical Sciences, had been demanding that a doctor or professor from the academy itself be appointed as the vice-chancellor.

“The vice-chancellor should be from the same academy. We have been demanding this since the post first went vacant after Dr Ganesh Gurung’s tenure ended,” Dr Dipendra Pandey, President of GODAN told the Post.

“We will hold discussions with members of the association for further steps.”

The ministry has, however, mentioned that the appointment was made according to the criteria mentioned in the vacancy announcement.