The Tribhuvan University Executive Council is likely to appoint Dr Prem Krishna Khadga as the new director of the Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital (TUTH) at Maharajgunj, Kathmandu.

Sources said the executive council had finalised Khadga’s name for the title on the basis of the recommendation it received from the committee led by the Institute of Medicine (IoM)’s Dean Jagdish Prasad Agrawal.

The TUTH’s director’s post has remained vacant since July 20, after Prof Dr Deepak Prakash Mahara resigned from the position citing family reasons. The TU executive council had formed a three-member search committee under Dr Agrawal, but it couldn’t come up with a decision due to internal differences. The council then had formed another three-member committee, which had Dr Agrawal, Dr Abhimanyu Jha and Dr Pradip Gyawali.

Around a month ago, the committee then recommended three names based on their years of experience. Among them, Dr Khadga’s name was highly recommended, followed by Dr YP Singh and Dr Sushil K Silpakar. “We have already recommended the names to the TU executive council,” said Dr Agrawal.

The TU executive council was forced to form the second search committee after anti-corruption crusader Dr Govinda KC had questioned the competency of one of the members. As one of the members of the committee is an associate professor, Dr KC had argued how a junior could recommend a senior professor for the TUTH director’s post. Dr KC had also been demanding the director be appointed on the basis of his credentials and experience, and stressing that only a candidate who will be retiring in the next four years should be considered for the job.

The council, however, has said that they can prioritise only one of the demands of

Dr KC on appointing the director. “It is sure that Dr Khadga will be the new director of TUTH,” said the source of the council.

Dr Khadga, a specialist in General Medicine and Gastrology, has around a year and a half remaining for his retirement. “We were asked to make a list following the seniority of the doctors and that’s what we have done,” said Dr Agrawal. “The decision of the appointment of a new director might come soon.”