Corona’s Chaos: Why shortage of skilled technical manpower in the health sector

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There is a famine of health manpower in the country today. The pandemic of the Corona, which has spread all around, has once again confirmed the need for skilled technical manpower in the health sector. But it is difficult from where to bring the skilled manpower in the heath sector in one day? What is the reason for the shortage of manpower in the health sector in Nepal? In this article, we have discussed some important issues related to the production of skilled technical manpower in the health sector in Nepal.

There is a famine of health manpower in the country today. The pandemic of the Corona, which has spread all around, has once again confirmed the need for skilled technical manpower in the health sector. But it is difficult from where to bring the skilled manpower in the heath sector in one day? What is the reason for the shortage of manpower in the health sector in Nepal? In this article, we have discussed some important issues related to the production of skilled technical manpower in the health sector in Nepal.

Today, the country is suffering severely from the epidemic of Covid-19. Some leadership classes are in search of the necessary manpower. They are looking forward to pay more. Now Nepal needs as many health manpower as possible. We can produce skilled technical manpower as soon as we need. It is possible.

But the Medical Education Council, has wanted to shut down such manpower-producing institutions. It is conspiring to run health programs only in government-funded institutions.

The council is trying to destroy the provision of private education for those manpower who are deprived of studying in government institutions. In particular, the vice-chairman of the council is trying to close down the private colleges affiliated to CTEVT. The reason behind this is to send students abroad and manipulate financial activities. who are not allowed to study in government colleges due to its backwardness and manipulating them financially. If not, why try to stop the private CTEVT affiliated colleges to run the programs including nursing whenever Nepal needs the thousands of manpower in the health sector. The council should give the answer of this question.

Due to lack of manpower in most of the government and private hospitals, it has not been able to treat the critically ill due to Covid-19 and other serious cases. They are dying in the hardship situation due to the lack of proper service.

Dr. Shree Krishna Giri, Vice-Chairman of the Council, has been walking around telling the statistics that there are about 70,000 unemployed ANM in Nepal. He is planning to abolish the private sector by confusing even the government. He has been saying that the law of the council should not be changed.

His statement that the council has to allow the government institutions for admission open and to stop the private institutions has been proving to be completely wrong. Where is the proof that 70 thousand nurses, paramedical and MBBS are unemployed? The council is trying to damage the reputation of government by stating false statistics. 

This is the misfortune of our country. Thirty-three years ago, the concept of technical education was conceived by a scholar. The government gave affiliation to the private sectors to implement the task which the government could not carry out. And the private sector has made significant contribution in the field of health and engineering in the corners of the country by producing various levels of skilled technical manpower in the country.

Seeing the successful results of this, various universities were opened in the country, due to which there seems to have been a decrease in the number of people leaving the country by producing the required manpower in various faculties as well as in the health sector. But as it has not been the favorable situation of the institutions or persons who supply the students to abroad, they created the obstacles in running the technical programs in Nepal.  

By explaining various national and international umbrella organizations, there was an attempt to weaken technical education under the pretext of standardization of education and sometimes under the pretext of World Health Organization. After a few days of efforts and lobbying, it seems to have weakened the medical education by endorsing the Medical Education Act from the parliament.

An attempt was made to stop the organization producing skilled manpower by forming a Medical Education Council in the name of regulatory body. That effort of the government was successful. Now the council is enjoying it. Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, in his inaugural address, declared that the nation needed technical manpower. So, he brought the concept of technical school at every local level.

An attempt was made to stop the organization producing skilled manpower by forming a Medical Education Council in the name of regulatory body. That effort of the government was successful. Now the council is enjoying it. Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, in his inaugural address, declared that the nation needed technical manpower. So, he brought the concept of technical school at every local level.

Also in his cabinet, the then Minister of Education, Science and Technology, Girirajamani Pokharel, formed a council to implement the Medical Education Act, and closed down health-producing institutions in the country. Talking about the false information about health programs related to middle label manpower which now seem to be very important for working in the fore-front in this pandemic, he closed down such important programs like CMA, ANM, Lab Assistant, Health Assistant, etc in 2076 BS. Since 2078 BS, important programs like PCL level staff nurses, HA will have been closed.

Seeing the various excuses, the students of BN, BSc Nursing, BPH, B Pharma have not been able to register for the academic session 2077/88. On the other hand, the council does not seem to be active in favor of opening a new college for MBBS by showing the unnecessary reasons.

Is there really health manpower unemployed today? If they are unemployed then why the Vice Chairman of the Medical Education Commission Hon’ble Dr. Krishna Giri has said in a media 10 days ago, i.e. on 19th Baishakh, that health workers should be deployed in the service by providing attractive facilities.

So far, no application has been received for the required posts. Unemployed people have not been able to apply as he said. In other words, the country has not been able to produce manpower due to false facts as stated by the Vice President. The government has not been able to provide the required number of health workers due to the vice-president who has worked to close down the manpower producing educational institutions and to make the government fail.

Even though, the Prime Minister’s Office Secretary and CCMC Secretary Khagraj Baral has said that the manpower should be taken on a one-year contract, there is a shortage of manpower. Also, the true facts of the health manpower required in the country today to send a recommendation to the Council of Ministers for recognition in MD education is clear to the country and society.

Today, we can build the Covid-19 hospital needed in the nation in a few days. We can install oxygen gas plants, we can import ventilators from abroad, but now there is a big problem when the production of manpower required to operate these machines is stopped.

The person who leads the country by considering this situation should take the moral responsibility of this situation. Even after installing oxygen plants to make isolation, due to lack of manpower from all over the country, infected people are losing their lives without any treatment. Who will take this responsibility? It is crucial that Nepal Government should take this issue seriously and review the Medical Education Act and play a result-oriented role in the management of medical education in Nepal with ease.

Author is Shailendra Mohan Jha who is the President of Forum for Health and Technical Sciences.

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