Health education enriches graduates with numerous opportunities

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Tanka Prasad Adhikari
Pokhara Technical Health Multipurpose Institute

Having started a bread-winning career as a pharmacist in Biratnagar 40 years ago, Tanka Prasad Adhikari has accomplished an appealing career in pharmacy as well as technical education field in Pokhara. He is the chairperson at Pokhara Technical Health Multipurpose Institute (PTHMI) and Western Health Science Academy (WHSA), Pokhara, affiliated to CTEVT. PTHMI offers HA and PCL Nursing programs whereas WHSA offers Diploma in Pharmacy.


What factors inspired you to get involved in providing technical education?

Around 35 years ago, I came to Pokhara as a medicine supplier on request of the superintendent of Paschimanchal Hospital. While returning with payment, I witnessed a crowd of girls in nursing colleges. There were around 613 students appearing the nursing entrance examinations for 40 seats, which deeply fired my enthusiasm further to establish a nursing college in Pokhara. PTHMI is the first nursing college in Pokhara. Currently, there are eight nursing colleges in Gandaki province (Province 4) and they dispatch around 1000 to 1200 nurses annually.

Your contributions are really praiseworthy in producing qualified nurses in Nepal. What problems have you experienced while running a nursing college from private sector?

There are a number of problems in running a nursing college from private sector. The Government of Nepal has made a provision of establishing its own hundred bedded-hospital for practical classes, and there should be compulsion of managing own permanent infrastructure. But the government has compelled us to renew the affiliation of the college annually. This provision has upset us and we are not assured of the security of our investment. In fact, the government has not appreciated the contributions of private investors.

Could you give the limpid data of the number of graduates dispatched from your institutions annually? How do you acknowledge their performances in the global market?

We dispatch around 120 health assistants, pharmacists and nurses annually. So, till date we have so far produced around 1300 technical human resources. According to our data, all our products are showing their outstanding performances in their job landing sectors. Moreover, we have not found any of our products unemployed. Truly speaking, there are around 22000 pharmacists in Nepal who are supplying medicine to 30 million people across the country. In this calculation, there is still a shortage of qualified pharmacists in Nepal.

What are the distinct features of your institutions?

Our college is situated in a prime location, which has appealing physical infrastructure. The college elongates over 10 ropanies of land and has constructed modern buildings extending over 44000 sq.ft. Our students are provided with the facility for practical courses in 16 faculties at Paschimanchal hospital. Similarly, our faculty members are well- qualified, experienced, dedicated and full-timers. In addition, our products are highly demanded in the global market. Another distinct feature of this college is that we have invested all the profit of this college in strengthening and upgrading its programs and infrastructures. Our optimum priority is to provide skill-oriented employment by producing technical manpower.

You have a long experience in medical field, particularly in pharmacy. In your opinion, how a pharmacy can be managed well?

The department of drug administration monitors the production and distribution of medicine in Nepal. Without the consent of the department, the medicine cannot be produced and distributed. There are different layers and steps in reaching medicine up to consumers, such as producer, sole distributor, distributor and retailer. The department strictly monitors laboratory tests for quality assurance in all the strata. Similarly, the government has enacted a law that only the licensed pharmacist can sell medicine. So, I can infer that medicine in Nepal is quality-assured by the medicine department.

What is your expectation from the government for running health institutions without any barriers? What should CTEVT should do in this matter?

The government should bring a clear policy for smooth running of medical colleges in Nepal. Colleges are run under the supervision of the Ministry of Education but practical is done under the Ministry of Health. Similarly, the government should make an equal provision for private and government run institution for collecting fees. In addition, the CTEVT should update the course syllabi as the change of time and situation to meet the need of students of the 21st Century. Private colleges are compelled to run CTEVT programs in low fee structure in comparison to that of government colleges for the same program.

What suggestions would you like to convey to SEE graduates and their parents?

I suggest that SEE graduates and their parents visit our college and choose technical education for a secure career.

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