Dispute Erupts Over Upgrading Lamki Hospital to Provincial Status Amidst Coordination Failure

Dhangadhi. The upgrading of the 15-bed Lamki Hospital in Lamki Chuha Municipality, Kailali, to a 50-bed Provincial Hospital has become controversial.

The upgrading work is in limbo due to a lack of coordination and administrative arrogance between the Sudurpashchim Provincial Government and the Lamki Chuha Municipality. The issue of hospital upgrading has become contentious as a battle of prestige is currently underway between the two governments instead of cooperation in development work.

The Provincial Government sought to take this hospital under its jurisdiction with the objective of upgrading it and providing specialist services. The dispute seems to have escalated because the Provincial Government bypassed the local government in this process.

Lamki Chuha Municipality Mayor Sushila Shahi strongly objected to the working style of the Provincial Government. She labeled it a unilateral and irresponsible step, accusing the province of disregarding the constitutional rights and existence of the local government.

According to Mayor Shahi, the Provincial Government did not opt for any formal correspondence or dignified discussion for the hospital's handover. She stated that the municipality's Administrative Officer was called for an agreement based merely on a WhatsApp message.

‘We have not received any formal correspondence yet. A letter was sent via WhatsApp asking the Administrative Officer to come for an agreement,’ Mayor Shahi said, ‘How just is it to call an employee to sign without any discussion with the Executive Committee and the Municipality?’

Shahi argues that the local government has its own decision-making process.

Thus, the Chief Minister of Sudurpashchim Province, Kamal Bahadur Shah, claimed that the Lamki Chuha Provincial Hospital has been brought under provincial jurisdiction through due process. He clarified that the process of operating the hospital is moving forward within the scope of the law and prevailing acts.

Mayor Shahi stated that the Province's Chief Minister and Social Development Minister completely ignored the role of elected representatives. Shahi claimed they made irresponsible statements like, ‘Elected representatives are not necessary, it is enough if employees come and sign.’

The Municipality had recommended the upgrading of the hospital on 4 Poush 2081. Shahi claims that when the Provincial Government started the process of taking ownership, the local government had not formulated any concrete plan regarding the investment made so far and the future of the employees working there.

The biggest challenge in the hospital's management appears to be employee adjustment. Currently, 81 employees are working at the hospital. The Provincial Government remains silent on how to manage these employees and under whose jurisdiction they will be placed.

According to Mayor Shahi, the Municipality spends 7 to 8 crore rupees annually for the hospital. Sometimes, this amount reaches up to 10 crore rupees when tenders and development works are undertaken. The Municipality alone bears 3 crore rupees annually just for employee salaries.

The Municipality is concerned about the fate of long-serving employees when the province takes ownership of an institution nurtured with years of effort in one go.

In this situation, one clause mentioned in the agreement letter sent by the Provincial Government has further angered the Municipality. The letter states, ‘The entire expenditure will be borne by the Municipality until budget management is finalized.’ Mayor Shahi considers this an unjust condition.

She said, ‘The Provincial Government has not contributed a single rupee to the hospital's budget so far, nor has it taken any liability. Now, in the hospital we have sustained, they are trying to render our role zero. If we had the internal resources to manage a 50-bed hospital, we would have run it ourselves, why would we appeal to the province?’

Thus, the Chief Minister of Sudurpashchim Province, Kamal Bahadur Shah, claimed that the Lamki Chuha Provincial Hospital has been brought under provincial jurisdiction through due process. He clarified that the process of operating the hospital is moving forward within the scope of the law and prevailing acts.

According to Chief Minister Shah, the 15-bed municipal hospital has now been upgraded to a 50-bed Provincial Hospital, and the Provincial Government is serious about its long-term management. He also assured that no employee associated with the hospital would lose their livelihood.

Chief Minister Shah stated that this process was not sudden but proceeded according to the policy and program of the fiscal year 2080/081. In line with the policy to enhance the capacity of hospitals under provincial jurisdiction, a decision was made to upgrade hospitals in Kolti, Bajura; Gokuleshwor, Darchula; Jogbuda, Dadeldhura; and Lamki Chuha, Kailali, to provincial-level hospitals.

Chief Minister Shah mentioned that the Hospital Development Committee meeting held on 17 Ashoj 2081, under the chairmanship of Mayor Sushila Shahi herself, recommended operating the 15-bed hospital as a 50-bed Provincial Hospital, and based on that, the province initiated the process.

The Provincial Government's cabinet meeting on 21 फागुन 2081 decided to bring the hospital under provincial jurisdiction and requested its handover from the Government of Nepal. Subsequently, as per the decision of the Government of Nepal's cabinet on 26 Jestha 2082, approval was granted for the Lamki Chuha Hospital to be handed over for operation by the Provincial Government.

The local public is suffering due to this tug-of-war and administrative confrontation between the two governments. Local resident Mira Damai of Lamki Chuha Municipality stated that the residents of Lamki, who were hopeful of getting specialist doctors, new equipment, and accessible services with the expansion of the hospital from 15 to 50 beds, are now disappointed.

Amidst these legal processes, the breakdown of vibrant dialogue with the local level has become the main problem. Mayor Shahi objected to not being invited to important discussions regarding the hospital and the formation of a new committee without consensus on sensitive issues like employee adjustment and financial accounting.

The Municipality maintains its stance that it is positive about making the hospital provincial, but the process must be constitutional and respectful. The Municipality insists on point-by-point discussion and written agreement on matters such as employee career development, financial income-expenditure, the burden of debt on the hospital's name, and the formation of the new Hospital Development Committee.

‘We are not against development, but work done by bypassing procedure will cause bigger problems tomorrow,’ Mayor Shahi said.

The local public is suffering due to this tug-of-war and administrative confrontation between the two governments. Local resident Mira Damai of Lamki Chuha Municipality stated that the residents of Lamki, who were hopeful of getting specialist doctors, new equipment, and accessible services with the expansion of the hospital from 15 to 50 beds, are now disappointed.

‘If we get a common illness, we have to go to expensive hospitals in Nepalgunj or Dhangadhi for treatment; treatment is not available here,’ she said.