Nepal Health Sciences Academy Project Stalled for Over Seven Years

Seven and a half years after the government decided to establish the Ram Raja Prasad Singh Academy of Health Sciences in Rajbiraj, the project remains stalled, with even the Detailed Project Report (DPR) incomplete. The Cabinet decided to establish the academy in Saptari on December 31, 2018. However, a land ownership dispute delayed the project, and the foundation stone was only laid virtually on July 6, 2021. An Infrastructure Preparation Development Committee was formed on June 27, 2019, to oversee construction. Despite three chairpersons, none have completed the DPR. Dr. Rohit Pokharel, a former chair, signed a contract with Digicon Engineering Consult Pvt Ltd in July 2022 to prepare the DPR but resigned in October 2022 to contest parliamentary elections. The chairperson position remained vacant for 16 months. Professor Dr. Parshuram Mishra was appointed in February 2024, but his age exceeded the limit, leading to controversy and his subsequent resignation. Professor Dr. Pashupati Chaudhary was appointed on April 4, 2024. Chaudhary has made little progress on the project. The contract stipulated a 36-month deadline for the DPR, but Digicon Engineering Consult did not submit the report due to delayed payments. The committee's legal tenure expired on July 30, 2025, and has not been renewed, halting the DPR for nearly a year. Officials report that Chaudhary, an orthopaedic specialist, rarely visits the committee office, which is located within the hospital premises. He reportedly spends his time treating patients at Gajendra Narayan Singh Hospital, despite the hospital having other orthopaedic specialists. Hospital officials stated they have no documentation authorizing Chaudhary to treat patients as an additional responsibility. Furthermore, a vehicle purchased by the committee has not been registered in the committee's or academy's name.

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I have not been here for very long. As far as I know, Dr Chaudhary was assigned additional responsibilities by the ministry to examine patients at the hospital.