Public Health Expert Deepak Kumar Sah Takes Helm of Nepal's Sensitive Ministry of Labor and Employment

Kathmandu. Deepak Kumar Sah from Mahottari has been given the responsibility of the Ministry of Labor, Employment, and Social Security in the cabinet of newly appointed Prime Minister Balen Shah. The public health and vision specialist, who gained international acclaim, has arrived to lead the labor ministry, considered the most sensitive in the country, after a parliamentary journey.

Sah was born on Chaitra 10, 2047 BS, in the then rural surroundings of Mahottari (now Mahottari Rural Municipality). His childhood was spent playing in the dust and mud there. He had the opportunity to closely observe the dire state of the social, economic, and health sectors in the Madhes region from an early age. That experience inspired him to work in the health sector.

His academic background is very strong and enviable. After starting his medical education at Nepal's prestigious Institute of Medicine, he began his career as a vision specialist. However, his thirst for knowledge was not limited to that. To understand the broader dimensions of public health, he completed his master's degree in Public Health. Proving his academic excellence, he also pursued higher education from the world's prestigious institution, the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine.

After completing his studies, Sah had ample options to live a comfortable life abroad or work in major hospitals in Nepal with attractive salaries. Instead, he immersed himself in the field of global health and development. Before fully committing to politics, he gained deep experience in health and development by working for world-renowned international organizations such as the World Health Organization and FHI 360.

He also worked on projects related to policy formulation, health system reform, and extending services to the underprivileged. However, he concluded that long-term change would not be possible regardless of how good the technical work was unless the country's core policy—politics—was reformed, leading him to enter politics. Embracing the belief that competent individuals must enter politics, he took a break from his international career and returned to his birthplace, Mahottari, under the election symbol of the Rastriya Swatantra Party's bell.

The 'Giant Killer' of the Electoral Field

The electoral field of Mahottari-2 was not easy for Sah. The field included former Labor Minister and astute player of Madhes politics, Sharad Singh Bhandari, who had been a minister multiple times. However, Sah did not offer traditional assurances to the voters. He put forward an agenda of improving health services, youth self-employment, and a corruption-free administration. The people of Mahottari trusted his integrity, high education, and closeness to the local soil.

Sah secured his parliamentary journey by defeating the influential and experienced leader Bhandari. The ministry that Bhandari led yesterday (the Ministry of Labor), Sah, who defeated him, has now received the keys to the same ministry in the new government.

A Test of Fire Alongside Opportunity

Sah, who campaigned on the slogan of youth self-employment before the election, now has the platform to fulfill those promises. The Ministry of Labor, Employment, and Social Security is the guardian ministry for the youth who send remittances, driving the country's economy. Although this ministry is suitable for Sah, who has knowledge of Occupational Health and Safety as a public health expert, the challenges here are as high as Mount Everest. The test of agenda implementation has now begun.

Currently, thousands of youths are still being cheated by manpower companies and agents while going abroad daily. The rule of 'Free Visa, Free Ticket' remains limited to paper. Breaking this network of institutional fraud will be Minister Sah's first and biggest challenge. The number of Nepalis who reach the destination country only to find they do not have the promised job, end up in jail, or suffer physical injury is large. It is essential to create a mechanism for the swift rescue of stranded workers by increasing coordination between embassies and labor desks in foreign countries.

If the trend of youth going abroad is to be stopped, employment opportunities must be created at home. Since Sah himself made youth self-employment a main agenda, the Ministry of Labor faces the challenge of bringing policies that promote skill-based training and startups in coordination with the Ministries of Industry, Agriculture, and Education.

Another challenge for the ministry is the full expansion and implementation of the Contribution-Based Social Security Fund, currently applicable in the formal sector, to the informal sector, self-employed individuals, and migrant workers. It is also a challenge for the ministry to forge new agreements with countries where Nepalis are going without labor agreements and to amend old agreements to be more favorable to the workers.