The construction of the Dailekh District Hospital, which began on 24 May 2021, was scheduled to be completed by July 2024. However, with only 65 percent progress made so far, the 50-bed facility remains unfinished, causing serious difficulties for patients.
The hospital is responsible for serving around 247,000 people across 11 local levels of Dailekh. Yet, due to delays, there is confusion about where to place doctors and health workers, and patients are often treated on chairs because of inadequate space.
Although the hospital has approval for only 15 beds, it has been operating up to 65 beds in a dilapidated building for years to cope with patient demand. “Due to the poor condition of the structure and lack of space, patients are being treated on chairs. More than 100 patients come every day, and when we cannot handle the pressure, we are forced to refer them,” said Dr Manoj Bishwakarma, Acting Health Service Manager of the Health Service Office, Dailekh.
The hospital’s foundation stone was laid by then-Karnali Minister for Social Development Yagya Bahadur Budha Chhetri, who had instructed the contractor and local authorities to complete the project on time with quality assurance. However, the project has not been completed as agreed.
The hospital building, estimated to cost Rs 272m (excluding VAT and provisional sums), was contracted to Shri Prera/Caravan/Super Star JV Kalikot at a significantly reduced bid of Rs 182.399m. According to the agreement, construction should have been completed by 12 June 2024. After the deadline passed, it was extended to Sept 2024, but progress remains stalled.
Construction company operator Tara Shah cited legal hurdles and delays in the deforestation process, which stalled work for the first 13 months. She said the company is now seeking another extension and hopes to complete the project by June next year. Hospital officials, however, say no progress has been made despite receiving extension requests.
Allegations of financial irregularities have also surfaced. According to Rule 113 of the Public Procurement Regulations, 2007, contractors can receive an advance payment of up to 10 percent of the contract amount. However, the construction company was paid Rs 18.239m more than permitted, in violation of the rules. The Office of the Auditor General has recommended recovering the excess payment with interest, but hospital sources say the contractor has been unwilling to return the amount.
Responding to the allegations, Shah claimed the discrepancies were due to missing documents. “The Auditor General may have raised the issue because some documents were not available. The concerned office has not requested those documents from us,” she said.
