Committee formed to probe construction of Suresh Wagle Memorial Cancer Hospital

Kathmandu, Aug 21: The Education and Health Committee under the House of Representatives has formed a committee to study building construction and operation of Suresh Wagle Memorial Cancer Hospital.

The three-member committee is led by the Health Committee Member Anjana Bisankhe. Sarita Neupane and Ekbal Miya are members. The Committee is asked to submit its report within five days.

Likewise, the Committee decided to ask respective sector to provide a paper of agreement struck on December 14, 2011 between the Ministry of Health and Population and the contractor to complete the construction within three years.

The deadline for the project was extended thrice since then, first in December 2015 and third on March 2017.

Then the Ministry decided to extend 11 month’s deadline for the last time, and recover compensation from the contractor if the project was not completed within the extended deadline.

As a result of failure to complete the project within the deadline, Rs 710 million has been frozen so far.

Speaking at the meeting, the Committee’s Member Gagan Kumar Thapa demanded an amendment to the Public Procurement Act at the earliest and the action initiated against the contractors failing to complete their assigned projects in time.

He referred to the tendency of failure to complete health projects on time.

Likewise, another member Narayan Marasini drew the attention of the government to taking action against the contractors failing to complete health projects within target.