Dharan-based BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences should immediately adopt some corrective measures to save the crisis-ridden medical facility, according to a high-level government commission.

1. Panel suggests corrective steps to rescue BPKIHS.
Dharan-based BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences should immediately adopt some corrective
measures to save the crisis-ridden medical facility, according to a high-level government commission.
“The institution must execute cost-cutting policies to improve its financial health at the earliest,”
the commission states, highlighting the need to curb political intervention in the functioning of
the medical facility.
The panel led by lawmaker Dr Shekhar Koirala, who is also the former vice-chancellor of the
institute also sought additional budget from the government to avert crisis. “The government
needs to release an additional 100 million rupees to the institution immediately for its smooth
operation by addressing concerns of the agitating employees,” a member told this daily referring
to the panel’s decision.
BPKIHS’s VC Dr Balabhadra Prasad Das also confirmed that the high-level panel that met a few
days ago took significant decisions to rescue the institution. The VC, however, refused to share
details, saying a report will be made public in the next few days.
According to sources, the decision was unanimously endorsed by the commission members,
including Health Secretary Shanta Bahadur Shrestha, Finance Secretary Suman Prasad Sharma,
Vice Chancellor of the National Academy of Medical Sciences Dr Ganesh Gurung, National
Planning Commission member Dr Yagya Bahadur Karki and others who were present in the
meeting.
“Finance Secretary Sharma responded positively to the panel’s demand for Rs 100 million,”
sources said.
The ministry of health and population had constituted Koirala-led commission in the third week
of September after the agitating employees shut hospital services for three weeks, demanding
dearness allowance and hiked salary fixed by the government.
Since its establishment in 1993, BPKIHS, with more than 2,000 daily visitors, is one of the most
reliable medical service providers in eastern Nepal. The institute has also been envisaged as one
of the successful examples of Nepal-India co-operation.
According to VC Das, the recent protest caused an additional loss of more than Rs 40 million to
the institution, which has already faced an annual budget deficit of more than Rs 200 million.
“The government has been providing an annual budget of Rs 80 million to the institution as its
operating cost and Rs 370 million for its capital expenditure. It offers graduate and post graduate
courses in the field of medical, dental, nursing and public health with a 700-bed teaching

2. hospital.”
• Stop providing unnecessary overtime allowances to its medical and non-medical staffers
• Increase bed capacity and medical student quotas to generate more revenue
• Adopt hire and fire policy if employees are found to be involved in unionism, affecting its 24-
hour operation • Review employees’ salary on its own, considering inflation rate and institution’s
financial health