Due to absence of health workers in health centers people in the remote areas were deprived of basic health facilities and scores die of diarrhea, dysentery and other preventable diseases.[break]
Despite raise in the population, new posts of health workers have not been created for the past 20 years, the ministry said. The recently updated data of the ministry showed 9,493 posts out of 31,627 are currently lying vacant. Moreover, the ministry attributed that around two to three thousands additional health workers and employees were on study leave.
The data said 46 percent posts of doctors were currently vacant. Out of the total 1,055 posts of doctors, 462 posts were vacant. Likewise, 2,132 posts of paramedics, 2,132 posts of nursing staffs, 811 posts in public health, 89 posts in Ayurverdic and traditional medicine sector and 4,768 posts of administration support staff were vacant.
Health and Population Minister Rajendra Mahatto conceded hundreds of people were dying due to government´s inability to recruit health workers to fill vacant posts. He said that government´s own rules had become a hurdles to recruit manpower.
“We had sought permission from the Public Service Commission (PSC) to recruit temporary health workers eight months ago but to no avail,” he said. He said that there was also a flaw in health service act and the ministry had taken a bill to parliament for its amendment which would have allowed the ministry to recruit health workers.
“The Chairman of the then Constitution Assembly (CA) did not give priority and CA was dissolved before the bill could be considered by the legislative parliament,” he added. Mahatto claimed that his ministry had included the issue in an ordinance which was yet to be approved by the president. “I have personally requested the president and made him aware about the seriousness of the issues,” he added.
Health workers said that death from treatable disease could be reduced if the government provided basic health facilities.
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