The Health Ministry on Monday said it is discussing with the stakeholders about shutting down the Ghattekulo hospital run by the Kathmandu National Medical College (KNMC), which recently got affiliation from the Tribhuvan University to run MBBS classes.

Health officials, in their briefing to Health Minister Giriraj Mani Pokhrel, on Monday said the hospital should be shut until it complies with the government standards.

“There is no option but to shut down the facility for now. The hospital is not registered with us and hence its operation is illegal,” said Dr Bhola Ram Shrestha, chief of the Curative Service Division at the ministry.

Dr Shrestha said they have begun reviewing the documents furnished by the KNMC that claim operation approval granted by the Ministry of Education. In the documents presented by the National College to the Health 

Ministry, the institution states that the Education Ministry granted it approval on June 22, 2012 to run a 300-bed hospital. However, it is the Health Ministry that issues the permit.

The MoH formed a panel last week to look into the controversy surrounding the facility. A ministerial level decision formed the panel to inspect the medical college after media reports that the TU Executive Council affiliated the teaching hospital that is not operational. The eight-member committee has Dipendra Raman Singh, Gunaraj Lohani, Bholaram Shrestha, Narayan Dhakal, Runa Jha, Swoyam Prakash Pandit, Kabita Aryal and Bhawanath Khatiwada as members.

The probe panel was barred from inspecting the KNMC after its management argued that the Education Ministry had already granted them permission to run academic activities. The decision on KNMC has been delayed due to the illness of Health Minister Pokhrel.