Health workers and administrative employees of Rampur Hospital, a major health institution in Palpa district, have been deprived of their monthly perks and salaries for the past five months.

According to Dr Amir Kafle, acting medical superintendent of the hospital, 18 health workers and eight employees have not received salaries since the start of the current fiscal year of 2024-25 due to bureaucratic delays over the appointment of hospital development committee’s chairman.

A total of 19 health workers and employees have been working at the health institution under the hospital development committee while seven others have been working through partner institutions including the local unit. The 50-bed hospital, located in Rampur Municipality, is under Lumbini Provincial government.

The health workers and employees have raised the issue repeatedly, but it has been left unaddressed. “It is sheer negligence on the part of the authorities concerned to deprive us of our salaries for more than five months. We were not paid even during Dashain and Tihar festivals. How can we work in such conditions?” said a health worker requesting anonymity.

Senior doctors to office assistants have not received their perks and salaries. They complained that they have been facing acute financial problems in managing daily essentials.

There is a longstanding dispute regarding the appointment of the chairman of the hospital development committee.

“At the heart of the nonpayment of salaries is the delay in appointing chairperson of the hospital committee for over a year now. Ultrasound, laboratory and dialysis services have also been affected owing to the shortage of budget caused by the appointment dispute,” said Kafle.

The hospital has not purchased medicines and other supplies since July owing to the absence of chairman. Also, the damaged tools and equipment have not been repaired due to a budget crunch.

The hospital collects some revenue through ticket sales to visiting patients, insurance payments, and support from partner organisations. “The hospital must deposit such income into the bank account of the hospital development committee. But the deposited amounts cannot be withdrawn or used as there is no chairman of the hospital development committee,” said Kafle.

As health workers and employees have not received salaries for months, Rampur Hospital wrote to the provincial health ministry of Lumbini Province. Acting on the request, the ministry issued a directive on December 5 to release salaries and wages. However, the salaries could not be disbursed as the budget from the last fiscal year 2023-24 remains unsettled due to the hospital development committee’s chairman.

In February 202, the Lumbini provincial government had appointed Ram Prasad Dhakal as the chairman of the hospital development committee for three years. But the provincial government's Cabinet meeting held on October 18, 2023 sacked Dhakal and chairmen of 12 other hospitals in the province. Three weeks later, the provincial government appointed Shyamkanta Khanal as the chairman of the hospital development committee of Rampur Hospital.

Challenging the provincial government’s decision, some sacked chairmen, including Dhakal, filed a writ petition in the Supreme Court, arguing that the government's decision was unfair. On December 5, 2023, the Supreme Court issued a short-term interim order stating that the new appointment should not be implemented. With this the hospital has been left without a chairman.

Responding to the letter sent by Rampur Hospital, Health Ministry of Lumbini Province on December 26 issued a directive to authorise Dhakal as the chairman of the hospital development committee. However, the reinstated chairman is yet to start work. "I will soon assume office and resolve the problem. Salaries will be released by mid-January,” said Dhakal.

Rampur Hospital is located around 65 km east from Tansen, the district headquarters of Palpa. People from various places of Palpa and neighbouring Syangja, Tanahun and Nawalpur visit the hospital for health services. According to the hospital administration, around 250 patients visit the hospital daily.