Kathmandu, March 14:
A committee
formed to suggest the government on medical education has suggested
transforming National Academy of Medical Sciences (NAMS) into an umbrella
university to meet the crisis of specialist doctors.
The Ministry of Health had formed
the panel some four months ago for finding an alternative in search of the
skilled human resources after the specialist doctors did not apply in the
government vacancy announcements.
The panel has already submitted its
report to Minister for Health Gagan Kumar Thapa.
At an interaction with Minister
Thapa on Tuesday, Coordinator of the committee, Dr Choplal Bhusal, said that
Bir Hospital, in the capacity of the medical teaching hospital, other central
hospitals, regional hospitals, sub-regional hospitals, zonal hospitals and
district hospitals should be kept under the umbrella university in a set legal framework
and classes of the Master's Degree run as well.
He said that Nepal lacks number of
specialist doctors and the specialists on anesthesia were few, and so is in the
case of pathologists and radiologists needed for physicians and surgeon. Dr
Bhusal added that the required number of specialists should be fulfilled by
offering trainings to them in the abovementioned hospitals.
The committee has also given
suggestions on arranging specialists of public health, imaging, lab technology
and physiotherapy.
On the occasion, Minister Thapa said
that decision has been made to begin works for infrastructure development and
commencing the classes from the upcoming academic session.
He said, "The Committee has
given suggestion to run classes by including retired doctors from the coming
fiscal academic session. Discussions are on for the amendment of the acts,
rules and laws of the Nepal Medical College as hiring the in-service doctors as
the teaching faculty was not easy from the Council."
The committee has suggested that
Mechi Zonal Hospital, Koshi Zonal Hospital, Gajendra Narayan Singh Zonal
Hospital, Sub-Regional Hospital, Hetauda, Bharatpur Hospital and some other
hospitals are capable enough and suitable to run classes on specialist doctors
from the upcoming academic session.
Bhusal said the specialists should
be produced in Nepal itself, adding that many of the specialists passed out
from other countries could not pass the examinations of the Council.
On the
occasion, Vice Chancellor of the NAMS Ganesh Gurung said that upgrade of the
NAMS to make it an umbrella university was appropriate for the production of
the skilled human resources needed for the country.
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