Kathmandu, September 6
In yet another incident of conflict between central and provincial governments, the Social Development Ministry of Province 7 has warned of defying an order issued by the federal government’s Ministry of Health to transfer staff.
Earlier on Tuesday, the Health Ministry had decided to transfer over 1,600 staff. Many of them were ordered to leave their workstations of Province 7.
The provincial government must approve the decision for its implementation. But, the Health Directorate under the provincial government says the mass transfer will result in absence of all doctors at some health facilities; hence, the decision cannot be implemented.
The Directorate’s Chief Dr Guna Raj Awasthi has informed about his office’s decision to the Department of Health Services.
“Two auxiliary nurse midwifes are posted at a health post, but both of them get transferred. When both of them leave the workstation, there will be no one to handle parturition cases,” Dr Awasthi says, “The provincial government cannot let the staff go until there will be others to replace them.”
