Four hospitals in Khotang remain unfinished after years of work

Construction on four basic hospitals in Nepal's Khotang district has stalled, leaving them unfinished years after the federal government launched a national initiative to build such facilities. These projects were intended to expand healthcare services in rural areas.

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The bank returned a guarantee worth Rs11.1 million.

In Kepilasgadhi Rural Municipality, the Baksila basic hospital project is halted because the contractor, Bibash International Construction and Suppliers Pvt Ltd, missed deadlines. Despite a contract signed in November 2021 and a subsequent one-year extension, construction did not resume. The municipality has sought to recover an advance payment guarantee of Rs11.1 million after the contractor failed to respond to five written reminders. The contractor's legal challenges, first at the High Court in Patan and later through arbitration, have further delayed the project. Physical progress stands at 60 percent, with financial progress at 56 percent.

Similarly, the basic hospital in Rawa Besi Rural Municipality's Kharpa has seen minimal progress. Mahadev Khimti Anjana Rujan JV, contracted for Rs75.75 million in July 2021 with a two-year deadline, has only completed 15 percent of the physical work. The municipality chair noted repeated requests to the contractor have been ignored. A project representative cited design revisions as a cause for delay, promising work would resume soon.

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Construction was delayed because the design had to be revised. He said work would resume soon.

The 15-bed municipal hospital in Halesi, funded by the federal government at Rs119.92 million, is also incomplete. Awarded to Namuna Himalayan JV, the project has faced multiple deadline extensions, with the latest approval pushing completion to July 2026. Only base-level pillars are erected, and approximately 34 percent of the contract value has been paid.

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Preparations were now under way for a fourth extension.