KATHMANDU, DECEMBER 23

The Government of Nepal has issued the Bhaktapur Cancer Hospital Development Board Formation Order 2020 for operation of the health facility in an attempt to provide quality, reliable, preventive, diagnostic, curative, and palliative care services to cancer patients.

The formation order stipulates a provision of an 11-member board under the chairmanship of a 12th level employee of health services designated by the Ministry of Health and Population. Its members include chief of Bhaktapur Municipality, hospital superintendent, a gazetted first class officer, two social workers including a woman, three persons including a woman designated by Nepal Cancer Relief Society, and an oncologist.

The executive director shall act as member-secretary in the board.

As per the formation order, a Nepali citizen having attained the age of 35 or not exceeding 65 years may be eligible to be appointed as a member. “Any person convicted of corruption, rape, human trafficking, money laundering, misuse of passport, kidnapping and other criminal offences involving moral turpitude shall be disqualified to hold the position of member,” it reads.

The functions, duties and powers of the board are to approve policies, plans, budgets and programmes for operation and management of the hospital; manage necessary financial resources; conduct research and study on cancer; construct hospital infrastructure; fix service fees to be charged by the hospital; conduct organisation and management survey to estimate the number of human resources required for service delivery; develop and implement necessary standards to ensure accessible medical services to senior citizens, children, destitute persons, differently-abled persons and patients from remote areas; and enforce professional code of ethics.

Likewise, the board shall coordinate and collaborate with national and international organisations for diagnosis, treatment and prevention of cancer, and carry out inspection and monitoring of services being provided by the hospital.

According to the formation order published in the Nepal Gazette earlier this week, the government shall appoint a person as executive director to function as the administrative head of the hospital.

A Nepali citizen having obtained educational qualification of at least master’s degree in medicine along with 10 years of work experience in the area of diagnosis, treatment and prevention of cancer may be appointed executive director.

The term of office of the executive director shall be four years.

However, the government may remove him/her from the post anytime if his/her performance is not found satisfactory.

“The number of employees to be hired for or deputed to the board shall be determined with the consent of the Ministry of Finance. The employees shall be hired on contract basis and may be dismissed any time if they fail to deliver in line with the terms and conditions of the service,” it says.

The board shall have its separate fund to deposit the amount received from the Government of Nepal, provincial government, local levels, national organisations, and foreign governments, organisations and individuals. However, it will require the board to obtain approval of the MoF to receive amounts from foreign governments, organisations or individuals.

The final audit of income and expenditure of the board shall be conducted by the Auditor General.

The board may also formulate and implement necessary rules, directives and procedures for smooth operation of its functions.