Dr Koirala breaks silence on sudden TUTH exit

KATHMANDU: After 108 days of taking charge of Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital(TUTH), Dr Bhagwan Koirala has resigned from his post disillusioned over various external and internal pressures.

On Friday, Dr Koirala had tendered his resignation from the position of Executive Director of TUTH and after three days of silence, he clarified the reasons on Monday that led him to walk out from the prestigious post.

Issuing a statement this evening, Dr Koirala charged that the University Teachers Association and Unions constantly expressed resentment with tighter regulations.

“It became extremely painful when some of the leaders and clean professors started justifying patient referrals out of the hospital,” he said.

Expressing dissatisfaction over the failure of TU and the government to allocate funds for general expenditure, he blamed the central office of TU for dominating authority to make decisions on financial and administrative matters.

However, he has admitted that he has been doing two full time taxing jobs: running a busy cardiac surgical programme and a full time administrative job. “This also became a final tipping factor in my decision making process” Koirala said.

Recalling that the Dean of Institute of Medicine and he were appointed at a time of crisis in the IOM and Teaching Hospital, Koirala said that he was asked to help rescue Teaching Hospital by the Dean and TU Authorities and he did so albeit the various problems some three months ago.

He highlighted 13-point, in his own words, ‘important and positive changes’ during his over three-month stint at Teaching Hospital.

He listed the legal action against those involved in financial irregularities and those violating discipline, enforcement of electronic attendance and observation of timing, clearance of the previous dues including other changes as important positive changes made during his tenure.

Urging all to rise above party politics and help get a new leader to carry on with the agenda of clean deal, Dr Koirala assured that he will remain in public sector in the coming days.