Govt reneged on promises, staff were unsupportive: Dr Koirala

KATHMANDU, March 4: Director of Tibhuvan University Teaching Hospital (TUTH), Professor Bhagwan Koirala said that several adverse factors have compelled him to take decision to quitting the job. Dr Koirala, who was appointed to the post just three months ago, tendered his resignation to dean´s office at the Institute of Medicine on Friday.



A press statement issued by Dr Koirala on Monday said that he found it difficult to continue as the government and the TU authority have not fulfilled the promises made to him at the time of his appointment. [break]



He has also accused the TU central office for not giving him the authority to take decisions on financial and administrative matters, which was promised to him before the appointment.



Contrary to general government rules and regulations, decision-making powers on financial and administrative matters have always been tightly held by the central office of TU, he has said in the statement.



Dozens of files relating to daily procurements lie for weeks at the central office awaiting approval which has made it difficult to run daily administrative works of the hospital, the statement said.



"Our precondition to take charge of the hospital and (dean office by the dean) was that more financial and authorities would be given to IOM," read the statement. "I had put forth to the appropriate authorities and the government before taking up the job. They had promised to help but this help has not yet materialized."



In the statement, Dr Koirala also complained about lack of support from the staffers of the hospital to his endeavors to strengthen the institution. He accused that some department heads did not comply with the system of the hospital. He also said that the University Teacher Association and Unions were displeased with the tighter regulations enforced in the hospital.



"It became extremely painful when some of the leaders and professors started justifying patient referral out of the hospital," he has mentioned in the statement.

Dr Koirala said that he had requested for special audit on certain “burning issues with financial liabilities” of the past, which was not done.



As per the regulation, the TU has to provide fund for salaries of permanent staffers, which has not been released yet, said the statement.



He said that it was impossible to generate money from the general public for salaries, recurring expenditure and equipment needed. "How can we generate extra money to pay for the huge debts/liabilities carried over from the past," he questioned.



Koirala had been appointed as the director to give a fresh lease of life to the hospital that had been plagued by chronic mismanagement and political interference. The hospital had been suffering huge losses and had been struggling to pay staff salaries.



Dr Koirala has been doing two full time jobs at the same period: one running TUTH administration and providing care to cardiac patients at Manamohan Cardiothoracic Vascular and Transplant Center. Koirala, in the statement, has also mentioned the improvements and measures he adopted during his tenure to rescue the hospital from mess.



Meanwhile, the employees working at the hospital have requested Dr Koirala to reconsider his decision. They have also launched signature campaign to pressurize the TU authority against accepting Koirala´s resignation. The signatures were submitted to Prakash Sayami, dean of IOM.

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