NAMS regulation being amended to woo Bir staff

It was a law sans human element: Official

Kathmandu, February 9:

NAMS regulation is being amended following objections from permanent employees of the Bir Hospital.

The employees were fearing they will be laid off once the regulation comes into effect.

The enforcement of the regulation would have affected 736 employees. Some of them would have been deprived of facilities they are enjoying, while others would have been laid off.

They launched an agitation against the regulation. The regulation has brought Bir Hospital under the NAMS — National Academy of Medical Sciences. The NAMS regulation passed by the senate of NAMS on January 28, they said, failed to incorporate all staffers under the NAMS. The NAMS management held meetings with the agitators twice after the latter locked up the NAMS office.

On February 4, NAMS management formed a nine-member committee comprising representatives of the employees, members of the NAMS and two lawyers to amend the regulation.

NAMS registrar Dr Shree Krishna Giri declined to comment on the issue. He said he will comment when the regulation is finalised.

NAMS regulation will come into effect once vice-chancellor of the NAMS okays it.

“The decision to lay off or cut facilities of employees was taken without consulting people concerned,” said a senior consultant of the hospital.

According to him, a full-fledged academy will set up its own service commission, under which employees will be adjusted as per the institutional structure.

However, he pointed to the “weakness of the management while drafting the regulation”.

“The members of academy have been very much technical. They have not taken human aspects into consideration,” he said, adding, “The management did not listen to inter-departmental suggestions.”

The government established NAMS in Bir Hospital in 2003. The NAMS Act was promulgated in 2006.

The Maternity Hospital, Shree Birendra Hospital, Kanti Children Hospital, Patan Hospital, National Public Health Laboratory, Sahid Gangalal National Health Centre, BP Koirala Memorial Cancer Hospital, Mental Hospital, Nepal Eye Hospital, Tilganga Eye Centre and Shree Rana Ambika Shah Eye Hospital are other hospitals affiliated to the NAMS.