Renu Kshetry

Kathmandu, May 5:

The Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP) is planning to send ‘interested’ doctors on a contract basis to 25 districts having low Human Development Index, as most doctors under MoHP were on ‘study’ leave and avoided going to remote districts.

Dr Bishnu Prasad Pandit, newly-appointed director general (DG) at the Department of Health Services (DoHS), told this daily that there was a dearth of doctors who could go to remote areas and provide quality health services in remote areas. “We are planning to send ‘interested’ doctors to such districts,” said Dr Pandit.

There are 1200 doctors under the MoHP of whom around 100 in government service are abroad on study leave.

“Any interested doctor with MBBS degree acquiring medical council registration is eligible for the post,” said Dr Pandit. “We have set a limit for the salary scale but the salary will be negotiable.”

“As soon as applications are received and shortlisted, procedures will be forwarded,” said Dr Pandit. The cabinet has approved the proposal. The Health Ministry had earlier called for applications from private institutions to provide doctors but there were no applicants. .

Besides, the Health Ministry has decided to to take action against those doctors who have been occupying vital posts but refusing to go to their designated districts.

“Recently, MoHP took action against 18 doctors in government service who were found guilty of not going to designated districts. Some were expelled while others were given warnings,” said Dr Hari Nath Acharya, spokesperson for the Health Ministry.

Meanwhile, the newly-appointed DG has plans to complete pending works, upgrade the quality of health services in the government hospitals and the health posts.

In order to upgrade physical facilities, the government has started providing bio-medical engineering to technicians so that they can fix the X-Ray, CT-Scan machines on their own. The ministry has started providing bio-medical engineering trainings to all the government hospital technicians also.