A Cabinet meeting had on Thursday transferred Shanta Bahadur Shrestha of Ministry of Local Development to the Health Ministry.

Nepal Medical Association (NMA), a professional organisation of medical doctors and dentists, expressed its severe objection to the appointment of a person with non-medical background as secretary of Health Ministry and said that it was against the spirit of Health Service Act.

This will have a long term effect on health sector of the country, the NMA said.

The NMA called on all the health professional to be present on the premises of the Ministry of Health and Population on Monday to protest against the appointment of the new secretary who is likely to assume his office the same day. The NMA had on Friday handed over letter of protest to Prime Minister Sushil Koirala, urging him to review the decision.

“If the decision is not reviewed, the NMA will launch a stern protest. The decision to appoint a non-medical person in the health sector has also demoralised potential candidates of health sector,” the statement of the NMA reads.

Following the appointment of Shrestha, acting secretary of MoHP Dr Tirtha Raj Burlakoti, who was a strong candidate for the position of secretary, has resigned. This, too, has stirred up concerns in many quarters.

Likewise, Government Doctor’s Association, an umbrella organisation of government doctors, too, has expressed its severed objection to the decision and warned of halting health service across the country if the government does not review it.

“The government will be held responsible if people have to bear the brunt of the protest,” the statement issued by the association reads.

The government has been appointing senior doctors who are also first class gazetted officers as secretary at the MoHP by amending the existing provision in Health Services Act since 2006.

It was in 1979 that the then PM Surya Bahadur Thapa had appointed Dr Laxman Poudel as acting secretary at the MoHP. Following the amendment of the Act in 2006, Dr Nirakar Man Shrestha, Dr Dirgha Singh Bam (acting), Dr Sudha Sharma and Dr Praveen Mishra have been appointed as secretary at MoHP till now.

Dr Anjani Kumar Jha, president of NMA, said they exert pressure on the government in order to compel it to review its decision.