NC obstructs upper house session over hospital operation issue

KATHMANDU, Jan 21: The main opposition party Nepali Congress (NC) obstructed today’s National Assembly session, expressing its concern over the government apathy to operate the hospitals established in commemoration of party prominent leaders the late Girija Prasad Koirala and Sushil Koirala.

The recent meeting of the Council of Ministers decided to keep the operations of nine several hospitals across the country under the management of the federal government. But the hospitals established in the honor of the two leaders are not in the list of nine hospitals and the government has not yet decided on the matter.

Right after the commencement of the session, NC members stood from their seats as a symbolic protest and amidst it, Sarita Prasai questioned the government why it ignored the operation issue of two hospitals.

The contributions of the pair in materializing the Nepal’s historic peace process, bringing republic and the promulgation of the constitution through the Constituent Assembly are unforgettable and none is expected to underrate such contributions, according to her. She demanded the government to apprise the House about its opinions regarding the issue.

Following Prasai’s views, Minister of State for Health and Population Dr Surendra Kumar Yadav informed the House that there was no decision to scrap the hospitals. He took a time to share the Cabinet agreement to operate nine hospitals across the country under the federal government.

Surendra Pandey threw a question before the House that why two hospitals could not be included in the list of nine facilities while Ram Narayan Bidari of the major ruling party Nepal Communist Party (NCP) criticized the main opposition’s move and raised a question about its validity. The standing position of the main oppositions and sitting position of the ruling party on the Assembly did not suit to a parliamentary tradition, he quipped. Dr Bimala Poudel of the same party requested the main opposition not to obstruct the session as was mandated to finalize multiple bills.

NA chair Ganesh Timalsina called on the protesting upper house members to take their respective seats, but latter refused to do so, forcing the NA chair to adjourn the session by half an hour. RSS