The important work of the Ministry of Health of Koshi State has been stalled as the Congress could not send a minister due to factional disputes.
What you should know
The Koshi state government has not been able to appoint a new minister due to internal factional disputes of the ruling partner Nepali Congress. Even after nearly a year of collaboration with UML, Congress has not been able to send a minister for the Ministry of Health, which falls under its share.
Currently, the Koshi state government has five ministers from the UML side and one state minister and four ministers from the Congress side, along with the chief minister.
Minister could not be sent Physical Infrastructure Minister Bhupendra Rai is also handling the responsibility of the Health Ministry. When the same person handles two ministries, there has been slowness in performance and laxity in policy-making.
UML has got economic affairs and planning, internal affairs and law, social development, drinking water, irrigation and energy and a state ministry. The Congress has the Ministry of Forests, Tourism and Environment, Physical Infrastructure, Industry, Agriculture and Cooperatives and Health.
Nepali Congress has 29 MPs in the state assembly. In terms of factions, the number of MPs from the establishment, Krishna Sitaula and Shekhar Koirala parties is almost the same. Due to factional disputes, it took time to recommend the minister.
At present, Shadanand Mandal (Forest, Tourism and Environment) and Khagensingh Hangam (Industry, Agriculture and Cooperatives) are ministers from the founding faction. Rai has become the physical infrastructure minister from the Sitaula group. MPs from Koirala group have not yet become ministers. The Ministry of Health, which belongs to them, is also being handled by Rai.
"The Shekhar Koirala group asked for two ministries on par with the establishment side," said a Congress leader, "but since they did not get the ministry as per the demand, they did not even get the health ministry."
Political leadership is necessary for daily strategic decisions, budget implementation and emergency health service preparation in the province's health sector. The pile of files in the ministry is increasing, but due to the lack of political leadership to make decisions, many works have been stalled.
Secretary of the Ministry of Health Dr. Radhika Thapalia claimed that she had no problem with any work so far. "Even if the same minister holds two ministries, there is no impact on our ministry," she said.
Important issues ranging from epidemic control to hospital expansion are stalled in the province. Lack of doctors, drug supply problems and basic health infrastructure construction plans have also been stopped. A Congress MP said, 'Not only our party, but the government itself is a sign that the sensitive sector like health is a low priority.'
