May 14, Kathmandu - The government has begun the process of appointing vice-chancellors to fill vacant positions at various Health Science Institutes following the issuance of ordinances.

After the enactment of ordinances related to amendments in the Nepal Health Science Institute Act and special provisions for the removal of public officeholders in 2083 BS, several officials, including vice-chancellors of the institutes, were relieved of their duties.

In response, the Ministry of Health has formed a recommendation committee under the coordination of Health Minister Nisha Mehta to select suitable candidates for the vacant vice-chancellor positions.

The committee, which includes a member from the National Planning Commission overseeing health and the Secretary of Health, Dr. Bikash Devkota, is currently working on establishing standards for recommending vice-chancellors.

According to the Ministry’s secretariat, the process to recommend names for vice-chancellor positions at institutions such as the National Academy of Medical Sciences, Pokhara Health Science Institute, Patan Health Science Institute, Karnali Health Science Institute, B.P. Koirala Health Science Institute, and Rapti Health Science Institute is underway.

"A standardized procedure has been developed for recommending vice-chancellors across all institutes. Once the standards are finalized, the committee will issue a public notice inviting applications for the position," said an official from the secretariat.