Rs 2.36 b splurged on community hospitals under party influence'

Published On: February 2, 2017 01:34 AM NPT By: Bishnu Prasad Aryal


Health Ministry has no details of funds distribution over 14 years 

KATHMANDU, Feb 1: At a time when many government hospitals are in a pathetic condition, the Ministry of Health (MoH) doled out more than Rs 2 billion in three years to community hospitals and NGOs with political access.

There are 109 government hospitals with a total of 5,271 beds and 154 private hospitals with7,394 beds across the country. Of the government hospitals, 37 hospitals do not have the sanctioned  number of beds and many more are without the necessary equipment. 

The government, which started distributing grants to community hospitals 17 years ago, provided Rs 2.36 billion to community hospitals and NGOs under the influence of political parties and party leaders over the last three years, according to MoH sources. The distribution of funds in the previous 14 years has not been  recorded in the files. Every year, approximately Rs 500 million is distributed to community hospitals and to various organizations and political cadres.

 MoH distributed Rs 568 million to 59 hospitals and various organizations in fiscal year 2013/14, Rs 1.31 billion to 52 hospitals and NGOs in 2014/15 and Rs 479 million to 22 community hospitals and NGOs in 2015/16, according to documents obtained by Republica. Different ministries distribute more than Rs 20 billion annually to different organizations, individuals and political cadres, said the MoH sources.

During the tenure of then health minister Ram Janam Chaudhari, Rs 479 million was given to 22 community hospitals just one day ahead of  the end of fiscal year 2015/16, and the receipients were required  to submit their reports to the government within 90 days. However, no reports were submitted  within the 90 days.

According to a working manual, the grants should be provided in installments as the work progresses. “While distributing the Rs 479 million, the manual was not followed,” said Bhavanath Khatiwada, under-secretary at  MoH.

Former minister Chaudhari said that the funds used to be distributed haphazardly in the past. “We started work to bring in new regulations but the cabinet approved these only in the last hour. So we went ahead and distributed the funds as per the regulations even  though only one day remained before the fiscal year ended,” he added. “If they had failed to submit their reports within the 90 days, the ministry should have monitored them and taken necessary action.”

Reports submitted  by a few hospitals after 90 days show that the funds were used for religious activities, seminars and other activities although the working manual allows expenditure of the funds only on medical equipment and the construction of hospital buildings. Six of the hospitals are yet to submit their reports.

Most of the community hospitals, which were expected to deliver cheaper services as at government hospitals, have charged fees for different tests and surgeries just like at the expensive private hospitals. 

“There is no difference between private and community hospitals in terms of service charges,” said the MoH officials. “This is not the spirit of community hospitals, which are meant to serve in rural areas where there are no government hospitals. But many of the community hospitals are located in urban areas, which are already served by government hospitals.”

 The present government has not allocated any grants despite the dozens of grant applications that have piled up at the ministry. “Providing state funds to community hospitals without examining them thoroughly is questionable,” said Health Minister Gagan Thapa. “We found that the grants were misused, wrongly used and under-used at community hospitals,” he said. 

“So we have prepared a draft amendment to the working manual, provisioning different markers such as  not repeating grants to the same organizations every year, locating community hospitals in remote areas and away from government hospitals, not providing grants to Kathmandu Valley and the urban areas and ensuring cheaper services to people,” said Minister Thapa. “The working manual will be tabled at the cabinet meeting on Thursday. Only after it is approved will grants be distributed to hospitals this year.”

Names/Adress

Grants in Rs.

Names/Adress

Grants in Rs.

Names/Adress

Grants in Rs.

Fiscal year 2015/16

 

 

Martyrs Memorial Academy

10,000,000

Helping hands Community Hospital

5,000,000

Lekhnath Community Lions Hospital, Kaski

18,212,000

Community Health Service Council

3,000,000

Gandaki Gramin Community Hospital

5,500,000

Namuna Community Hospital, Lamjung

10,000,000

Sanjivani Sewa Sangh, Bir Hospital

1,000,000

Martyrs Memorial Academy, Jhapa

10,000,000

Sujung Hospital, Doti

17,979,000

Sushma Koirala Memorial Trust

10,000,000

Sanjivani Sewa Sangh, Bir Hospital

2,000,000

Adhikhola Development and Environment Sanitation Group, Syangja

9,339,000

Namuna Community Hospital

7,000,000

Sushma Koirala Memorial Trust

30,000,000

Galyang Community Health Center, Syangja

17,278,000

Koshi Purva Community Hospital

4,000,000

Namuna Community Hospital

500,000

Reukai Yeiki Masunaga Eye Hospital, Kavre

20,547,000

Community Naturopathy Hospital

10,000,000

Community Naturopathy Hospital

1,000,000

DCWC Community Hospital, Kavre

17,979,000

Kishori Prasad Nepal Community Health Center

5,000,000

Rajmarg Community Hospital

1,000,000

Ap-pipal Hospital, Gorkha

17,745,000

Social Health Security Development Committee

500,000,000

Parijat Memorial Hospital, Mahottari

5,000,000

Om Rara Health Foundation, Mugu

15,644,000

Rajmarg Community Hospital

1,000,000

GP Koirala National Respiratory Center

30,000,000

Gautam Buddha Community Heart Hospital, Rupandehi

38,240,000

Manorog Upachar Tatha Punrsthapana Kendra

1,000,000

Nepal Hridayarog Niwaran Pratisthan, Lalitpur

3,000,000

Community Naturopathy Hospital, Nawalparasi

38,786,000

Parijat Memorial Hospital, mahottari

3,750,000

Mastishka Pakshyaghat Swabalamban Samuha Nepal, Lalitpur

3,000,000

Spinal Injury Rehab Center, Kavre

20,000,000

National Kidney Treatment center

24,000,000

Nepal Orthopedic Hospital

1,000,000

Dhulikhel Hospital, Kavre

45,340,000

GP Koirala National Respiratory Center

7,100,000

Nepal Community Health  and Development Center

500,000

Chaurjahari Hospital, Rukum

36,054,000

Chandra Narayan Yadav Memorial Trust, Siraha

4,000,000

Martyrs  Memorial Community Hospital

1,000,000

Lamjung District Community Hospital, Lamjung

32,777,000

Khirsain Adhikari Samaj, Kavre

500,000

Nepal Apang Sewa Sangh, Bara

1,000,000

Martyrs Memorial Community Hospital Development Committee, Nawalparasi

18,212,000

Shramjivi Mahila Tatha Balkalyan Parishad, Bhaktapur

500,000

Bayalpata Hospital

3,000,000

Okhaldhunga Community Hospital

33,800,000

Nepal Hridayarog Nivaran Pratisthan, Lalitpur

4,000,000

JP Academy

1,000,000

Sahodar Hospital, Lamjung

14,800,000

Mastishka Pakshyaghat Swabalamban Samuha Nepal, Lalitpur

2,000,000

Koshish

450,000

Kapilvastu Community Hospital, Kapilvastu

15,000,000

Om Rara Health Foundation, Mugu

1,000,000

Human Development and Nature Environment Conservation Center

1,000,000

Bayalpata Hospital, Achham

21,714,000

Children and Women Society, Banke

500,000

Chhatrapati Nishulka Chikitsalaya

1,000,000

Birgunj Community Eye Hospital, Birgunj

16,578,000

Nepal Tuberculosis Prevention Organization

250,000

National Disabled Unity Center

400,000

Janasewa Community Hospital, Khotang

3,000,000

Nepal Orthopedic Hospital

3,000,000

Helpless Cooperation Council

300,000

FY 2014/15

 

Mahila Jagaran Nepal, Kathmandu

500,000

Nepal Ayurved Chikitsak Sangh

300,000

National Kidney Center, Balaju

16,000,000

Himalaya Eye Hospital, Pokhara

1,000,000

Ama Milan Kendra

300,000

Apex Body for Eye Health

2,500,000

Nepal Community Health and development Center

1,000,000

Devghat Dharmath Hospital

1,000,000

Nijamati karmachari Shreemati Sangh

800,000

Nepal Apang Sewa Sangh, Bara

250,000

Birgunj Community Eye Hospital

2,000,000

Nepal Chikitsak Sangh

20,000,000

Galyang Community Health Center

250,000

Community Health Environment Center

300,000

BP Eye Academy

49,000,000

Bayalpata Hospital

35,127,500

Kulananda Jha Memorial Academy

500,000

Matri Shisu Miteri Hospital

10,000,000

Kaski Netrahin Sangh

250,000

Osho Tapoban

1,000,000

Spinal Injury Rehab Center

10,000,000

FY 2013/14

 

Gramin Bikas Mahila Janachetana Karyakram, Mahottari

275,000

Janasarokar Trust

40,000,000

National Kidney Center, Balaju

42,652,000

Kapilvastu Community Hospital Development Committee

1,000,000

Nepal Madhyabindu Community Memorial Hospital

4,000,000

Apex Body for Eye Health

2,510,000

Jana Swasthya Sarokar Trust

60,000,000

Lekhnath Community Lions Hospital

10,000,000

Nijamati Karmachari Shreemati Sangh

700,000

Swasthyakarmi Tatha Swasthya Surakshya Kosh

5,000,000

Adhikhola Development and Environment Sanitation Group, Syangja

3,000,000

BP Eye Academy

40,000,000

Nepal Magar Mahila Sangh, Kathmandu

300,000

Disabled Child Hospital and Rehab Center

500,000

Matri Shisu Miteri Hospital

1,000,000

District Hospital, Jeleshwor

1,500,000

Kirtipur Community Health Center

1,300,000

Spinal Injury Rehab Center

10,000,000

Pashupatinath Community Hospital

1,000,000

Dhullikhel Hospital

225,000,000

Nepal Madhyabindu Community Memorial Hospital

1,500,000

Nepal Cancer Prevention Organization

1,000,000

BP Memorial Community Cooperative Hospital Pvt Ltd

3,000,000

Lekhnath Community Lions Hospital

1,400,000

Prakritik Swasthya Sanstha

2,000,000

Manamohan Memorial Community Hospital

50,000,000

Disabled Child Hospital and Rehab Center

2,000,000

Ama Milan Kendra

200,000

Nepal Cancer Hospital, Nepalgunj

60,000,000

Dhulikhel Hospital

80,000,000

Muktinath Baba Hospital

5,000,000

Nagarik Community Teaching Hospital, Bhaktapur

10,000,000

BP Memorial Community Cooperative Hospital Pvt Ltd

5,000,000

Purva Karmachari Sewa Parishad

500,000

Mahendra Narayan Nidhi Memorial Hospital

50,000,000

Manamohan Memorial Community Hospital

60,000,000

Seti Ganga Community Hospital

2,000,000

Bhaktapur Cancer Hospital

50,000,000

Nepal Cancer Hospital, Nepalgunj

60,000,000

International Society for Medical Education Pvt Ltd

200,000

Helping Hands Community Hospital

5,000,000

Nagarik Community Teaching Hospital, Bhaktapur

10,000,000

 

 

Gandaki Gramin Community Hospital

30,000,000

Mahendranarayan Nidhi Memorial Hospital

60,000,000

 

 

 


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