Nepal’s Health Minister, Pradeep Poudel, has expressed serious concerns over the difficulty in deploying essential health personnel to regions outside the Kathmandu Valley.
Speaking at a capacity-building event for the Health Emergency Operation Center (HEOC) held in Lalitpur on Tuesday, Minister Poudel highlighted the reluctance of health workers to relocate after being transferred, calling it a growing issue for the public health sector.
“Some employees don’t even collect their transfer letters,” said Minister Poudel. “This resistance has made it impossible to send necessary manpower to federal, provincial, and local health facilities in remote areas.”
Shortage of Health Workers Outside the Capital
According to Minister Poudel, nearly 75% of the required health workers are currently stationed within the valley, while only about 33% are available in areas outside. Despite the Ministry of Health overseeing around 2,600 health personnel, staffing levels in rural areas remain critically low—failing to meet even one-third of actual demand.
Urgent Need for Equitable Workforce Distribution
Minister Poudel emphasized that effective disaster response depends heavily on having adequate manpower across all regions of the country.
“If every region has the required health workforce, emergency response becomes significantly easier,” he stated.
Low Investment Hindering Crisis Preparedness
He further pointed out the low level of investment in the country’s health sector. In his view, empowering health institutions to operate at full capacity would significantly enhance Nepal’s ability to handle public health emergencies efficiently.
