The 15-bed hospital in Khandadevi Rural Municipality of Ramechhap, which was started with the aim of providing easy health services to the citizens of rural areas at the local level, is still in a dilapidated state even after six years.

Due to the non-completion of the construction on time, local citizens are forced to travel to the district headquarters, Manthali and Kathmandu, even for general treatment.

The contract for the hospital, which was started in the Sulithumka Community Forest Area of ​​Khandadevi Rural Municipality-5, Pakarbas, was won by Atriya Shivako Basnet JV for Rs 37.2 million. The hospital, which was started in the last week of Bhadra 2077, was targeted to be completed within three years. But even after almost six years since the work began, the construction has not been completed.

The rural municipality had started the construction of the hospital with its own investment with the aim of providing basic and quality health services to the citizens of remote areas. However, local people's representatives say that the plan has been in doubt due to the delay and negligence of the construction company.

According to Manoj Poudel, ward chairman of Khandadevi Rural Municipality-5, a complaint was filed with the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority after the construction company took payment for the slope without doing the work. He said that the authority then investigated and directed the same company to pay 10 percent compensation and extend the deadline to complete the work. 'The executive had also decided to extend the deadline to proceed with the work,' said ward chairman Poudel, 'but the agreement could not be reached again as the construction company could not submit the necessary bank guarantee. Now the construction businessmen have stopped coming in touch.'

49.5 million budget could not be spent
With the construction businessmen out of contact, the budget of 6.5 million rupees allocated for the construction of the hospital under the special grant of the Bagmati Province government in the current fiscal year 2082/083 has not been spent so far.

The budget allocated by the rural municipality in various fiscal years has also gone unused. According to the rural municipality, Rs 15 million allocated in the fiscal year 2078/079, Rs 10 million allocated in 2079/080, an additional Rs 13 million allocated under two headings in 2080/081 and Rs 5 million allocated in 2081/082 could not be spent due to the construction company.

Thus, the rural municipality has stated that the total budget of Rs 49.5 million allocated for the construction of the hospital has not been spent so far. The locals have become disappointed after the construction of the hospital has been stalled for a long time.

The citizens, who are facing a lack of access to health services, have been waiting for years in the hope that a hospital will be operated in the village. But due to the negligence of the construction company and the lack of effective initiatives by the concerned bodies, the plan to operate a health service with skilled doctors in Khandadevi rural municipality has been in doubt.

Even though the construction company has not worked as per the agreement, the relevant bodies including the rural municipality have not been able to take the necessary action. According to Om Prakash Shrestha, the head of the health department of the rural municipality, the company has not been able to work as per the allocated budget in the construction of the hospital contracted under the multi-year plan.

According to him, after the discussion at the authority, a verbal instruction was received to extend the deadline to proceed with the work. He then said that the village executive decided to extend the deadline to the same company. But since the construction company's bank guarantee period has expired, the contract has not been renewed so far.