Nepal’s Health Sector Faces Staffing Crisis, Says Minister Pradip Paudel

The shortage of healthcare workers in Nepal remains a serious challenge, according to Health Minister Pradip Paudel. At a recent event in Kathmandu, Minister Paudel revealed that efforts to increase medical staff have been stalled due to the government’s failure to approve key proposals.

He explained that federal hospitals currently employ only around 2,600 staff, and many hospitals outside the Kathmandu Valley operate with less than one-third of the required workforce. The ministry’s official staffing plan (Organization and Management, or ONM) has not been updated since 1991 (2048 BS), preventing the recruitment of needed personnel.

A survey last year estimated that the country needs approximately 90,000 healthcare workers, 60,000 for local hospitals, 15,000 for federal, and 15,000 for provincial hospitals. Although the ministry planned to fill 30,000 positions this fiscal year, the ONM proposal has yet to receive cabinet approval.

Minister Paudel criticized the low investment in healthcare and highlighted problems with staff transfers, noting that many doctors refuse to relocate to remote areas and face little consequence. In some remote hospitals, only one permanent staff member is present despite official positions being vacant.

He stressed that without adequate staffing, hospitals cannot effectively respond to emergencies or natural disasters. The minister urged the government to approve the staffing plan quickly and strengthen the health sector nationwide to improve healthcare services.