Kathmandu: Health and Population Minister Pradip Paudel is advancing plans to recruit more than 2,000 additional health personnel across federal hospitals in Nepal to address the growing patient load and staff shortages.

Following an organizational and management survey conducted by an internal task force led by Administrative Secretary Rishi Acharya, a report has recommended adding 2,102 new health workers, primarily technical staff, over the next five years.

The largest increase will be at Bir Hospital, the country’s biggest hospital, where 777 new positions will be created. Bir’s Trauma Center will receive 90 new staff. Kanti Children’s Hospital in Kathmandu is slated to get 78 new health workers, while the Paropakar Maternity Hospital will add 173.

Other hospitals to receive significant increases include Sukraraj Tropical and Infectious Disease Hospital with 317 new staff, Koshi Hospital (172), Narayani Hospital (318), Bheri Hospital (179), Gajendra Narayan Memorial Hospital in Rajbiraj (144), and Bharatpur Hospital in Chitwan (465).

Smaller increases are planned for Dodeldhura Hospital (52) and the Department of Drug Administration and laboratories (40).

Minister Paudel expressed confidence that the survey’s recommendations would help ease the long-standing staffing shortages and improve service delivery in public hospitals. He emphasized that the survey will be conducted annually going forward to address workforce needs on a continuing basis.

The new staffing plan also aims to reduce temporary and contract positions by creating more permanent roles, providing job stability for health workers. This is the first comprehensive organizational and management survey since 2066 BS (2009-10 AD), and its implementation is expected to improve service capacity and create employment opportunities in the health sector.