KOICA Nepal Office holds pre-departure orientation for health ministry officials

KOICA Nepal Office conducted a pre-departure orientation programme for 15 government officials from the ministry of Health and Population today, at KOICA Nepal Office.

The orientation programme was organised under KOICA Capacity Improvement and Advancement for tomorrow (CIAT, a Fellowship Programme), which supports ministry of Health and Population on 'Capacity Building on Strengthening Health Emergency Coordination and Operation System in Nepal'.

This new CIAT multiyear programme, starting from 2024 and continue till 2026, aims at training 45 government officials by 2026 from the ministry of Health and Population in Health Emergency Coordination and Operations System of Nepal, according to a press note issued by the KOICA Office.

"The capacity building training programme is designed to enhance Nepal's health policy and system based on Korea's experiences," it claims, adding that the programme will take place in Korea from July 21 to August 3 and the officials will be departing to South Korea on July 20 (Saturday).

The orientation programme aimed to ensure that the government officials are well-prepared for the cultural and societal differences they may encounter in South Korea. It equipped them with knowledge about Korean culture, intercultural communication skills, and academic expectations. 

Country Director of KOICA Nepal Office Mooheon Kong, on the occasion, emphasised the importance of implementing and disseminating the knowledge gained in Korea to improve and strengthen the health services in Nepal.

Simultaneously in June 2024, 15 government officials from the ministry of Education, Science, and Technology, including CTEVT, participated in a similar training programme titled 'Capacity Building of TVET Instructors on E-learning in Nepal'. Health, Education, Agriculture, Governance, Environment are few important sectors that KOICA focuses on implementing this CIAT programme.

Since 1991, the KOICA fellowship programme has supported over 2600 Nepali government officers through various programmes, including Country Specific Programmes, Multi Country Programmes, and Scholarship programmes.

KOICA remains committed to supporting human resource development in Nepal via these kinds of programms, the press note adds.

Mountain guides demand social security

The mountain guides have asked the government to ensure social security for them.
While marking the 14th National Mountain Guide Day here today, they said that the mountain guides are the backbone of the climbing industry and the government must work for their betterment.
President of Nepal National Mountain Guide Association Ang Norbu Sherpa said that mountain guides are often low-paid and also there is no guarantee of social security. “The guides always risk their lives to support the expedition members so their contribution to the climbing industry must be honoured,” he said, adding that mountain guides worked for the welfare and safety of climbing members but the concerned stakeholders have not increased their investment in them.
On the occasion, the association also awarded certificates to five new IFMGA mountain guides and four aspirant guides, who successfully completed the 11th batch of NNMGA course in 2019.
Tourism secretary Kedar Bahadur Adhikari, director general at the Department of Tourism Dandu Raj Ghimire and association president Sherpa jointly awarded certificates to 11 guides, who completed the level IV of the National Skill Testing Board exams under CTEVT. “The association is committed to providing necessary trainings to produce trained manpower, provide quality service and minimise risks relating to mountaineering,” Sherpa said, adding that the association has also inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Nepal Mountaineering Association (NMA) for five years to jointly conduct mountain and aspirant guides training courses. “The Aspirant Guide Course, which consists of three components spread over a span of 10 months, incorporates a total of 47 training days.”
It is the first step to pursue advanced International Mountain Guide – IFMGA – he said, adding that after completing two years in the guiding field, aspirant guides can take IFMGA exam by fulfilling additional criteria. “Two trekking peak ascents, one expedition style ascent with at least two camps in altitude and eight days of ascents – without clients – on all type of terrain are other criteria for aspirant guides to take part in IFMGA course. “The association had launched aspirant guide training in 2007 while the first batch of international mountain guide graduated in 2009.”

Dr Govinda KC announces 16th hunger strike

Betrayed by the two-third majority communist government led by KP Sharma Oli again, senior orthopedic surgeon at Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital (TUTH) Dr Govinda KC has begun a fresh hunger strike, his sixteenth, from 5:00 pm today.
Dr KC had announced a day after to stage another round of hunger strike, if the government failed to endorse the Medical Education Bill in line with the agreement signed with him earlier. He decided to start fast-unto-death – on the premises of an old office building of Department of Urban Development and Building Construction – after Education and Health Committee of the Legislature Parliament today afternoon endorsed the report on Medical Education Bill against the agreement signed with him.
Addressing journalist – at Ilam in Province 1 – Dr KC said that the draft bill does not accommodate his demands as per the nine-point agreement reached earlier between Oli government and him on July 26 ending the doctor’s 15th hunger strike. Earlier in June, Dr KC had begun his 15th hunger strike at Karnali Academy of Health Sciences in Jumla. He was later air lifted to Kathmandu.
The government had then agreed to address Dr KC's demands while bringing the law, but according to Dr KC, the government has again betrayed him, prompting KC to begin his hunger strike. "The Medical Education Bill should be endorsed as per the letter and spirit of the agreement at the earliest,” demanded the anti-corruption crusader. "But the draft endorsed by the sub-committee today afternoon does not address provisions of the agreement that the government signed with him.
The draft has provisions to allow institutions outside Kathmandu valley that have already acquired letters of intent and built necessary infrastructure to operate.
The agreement reached with Dr KC calls for phasing out short-term CTEVT courses within five years after the enactment of the bill. However, the draft bill states that a decision on this issue, including phasing out and or upgrading certain CTEVT courses, will be taken as per the recommendation of a task force that will be formed in the future.
Dr KC – issuing a statement today from Ilam – has put forth six-point demand including passing National Medical Education Bill without change, taking action against 43 officials of TU as per the recommendation of the high level National Medical Education Commission led by former Judge Gauri Bahadur Karki. The demand also includes a fair and effective investigation on the mysterious case of Nirmala Panta’s rape and murder, and justice to the victims of a decade long Maoist conflict.
Dr KC was warning the government to pass the Bill according to the agreement, or he will start 16th fast unto death immediately after the agreement with the incumbent government.
The strike which was expected to be announced on January 2 was put off till January 9 following a request from the Parliament’s Education and Health Committee chairman Jayapuri Gharti Magar, to withhold the decision. Lawmaker Gharti had asked for sometime to discuss on the Medical Education Bill while expressing commitment to fully honour the agreement.
But the report on the National Medical Education Bill- 2075 BS that has been endorsed by the Education and Health Committee under the House of Representatives, has failed to address the nine-point agreement reached between Dr KC and the government on July 26 ending the doctor’s 15th hunger strike.
The committee meeting today passed the report with a majority as 14 among 18 members present voted in favour of the document. Four members from the opposition parties stood against the report. Committee chair Jayapuri Gharti had presented the report seeking its endorsement before the meeting.
Though, a committee member Yogesh Bhattarai claimed that the bill has addressed the past agreements, another committee member and former health minister Gagan Kumar Thapa presented a differing view on the bill. THapa said that it was really unfortunate that the report on the bill was passed by the committee on the basis of majority against the government-Dr KC agreement, while Bhattarai was of the view that Dr KC should accept the document.
Likewise, another member Umakant Chaudhary also termed the bill as against the agreement between the government and Dr KC.

The bill includes;
• No letter of intent shall be awarded to establish and operate a medical institution to run the bachelor-level programmes on medical, dental and nursing subjects in Kathmandu Valley for the next ten years;
• One has to pass the central entrance exam to pursue medical education and anyone completing the medical education with government scholarship must complete two years mandatory service in a government-run medical institution;
• A university shall not be allowed to grant affiliation to more than five medical education teaching institutions to run the medical classes, but in case of those colleges, which have already obtained the affiliations and completed the criteria, decision shall be taken by the National Medical Education Commission (proposed in the bill);
• No teaching institution shall be given a letter of intent for running classes and internship (towards medical) until they have at least a 300-bed hospital in operation and for conducting the classes towards dental and nursing programmes, the operation of a 100-bed (at least) facility is mandatory;
• The National Medical Education Commission shall fix polices and criteria regarding the determination of standard and level of all medical education related programmes at the center and province and give required direction to Universities and Council in regard with the medical education;
• A body assigned by the National Medical Education Commission shall conduct programmes of proficiency certificate level under the CTEVT;
• The public medical institution shall allocate at least 50 per cent of the total available seats under the bachelor level programmes free of cost;
• A medical university shall be established and operated while medical education-related teaching institutes shall be gradually transferred into non-profitable and serve-oriented organisations.

TVET Career Fair shows growing enthusiasm among career seekers

A two-day TVET Career Fair 2018 was organised by the Council of Technical Education and Vocational Training (CTEVT) and its Research and Information Division with the support from the European Union (EU), the Swiss Development Cooperation and the Pokhara Technical School on Friday and Saturday followed by a panel discussion on Sunday. The fair is the first of its kind in the TVET sector organised in Pokhara.
The fair had a total of 22 stalls consisting of CTEVT affiliated private institutes in Pokhara, Dhaulagiri and Chitwan among others. Around 6,500 people comprising of parents, relevant stakeholders and students, mainly fresh SEE graduates visited the event.
The Career fair provided a unique opportunity and a common platform for students, parents, trainers and employers where they exchanged ideas and information about technical and vocational education and career opportunities.
The career fair played a crucial role to highlight the importance of TVET among the general public. It helped them identify their career choices and to network with prospective employers.
A career path in the technical field is becoming increasingly attractive for many Nepali students and has also drawn attention and support of the government, because it can offer promising professional opportunities and is crucial for the development of the country.
"We have not been able to effectively utilise raw materials and resources in Nepal," minister for Social Development of Province 4, Nardevi Pun, who was the chief guest of the programme, said.
"We need to focus more on production and for that, we need skilled human resources," she said, adding, "For Nepal to generate qualified human resources, the government needs to help, and I assure to bring in efforts from my side as the minister for the development of skilled human resources."
Likewise, member secretary at the CTEVT Pushpa Raman Wagle said that it is necessary to focus on developing skilled human resources according to the needs of the country and to increase the productivity by using the maximum amount of natural resources available. "Vocational training can be a very smart investment," she said, adding that a committed and qualified self-employed plumber or electrician, for instance, can earn a better livelihood than many university students would even dream of.
"The EU feels privileged to partner with CTEVT,” said the head of Cooperation at the European Union (EU) in Nepal, Andreas Roettger. "This fair provided a wealth of inspiration to show how crucial vocational training is for Nepal," he added. 

Increased domestic production can bridge rising import-export gap

Increased domestic production is the only option to bridge widening import-export gap, according to finance minister Shankar Prasad Koirala.

Addressing Leather Goods & Footwear Expo-2013, here today, he said that it would be possible only with joint efforts between private sector and the government.

Though the government had brought a policy to use domestic products – even if they are 15 per cent more expensive than the imported ones – in the government agencies, it has not been implemented, Koirala said, adding that the government is ready to discuss on how to implement it.

The government has planned Special Economic Zones (SEZs) in Biratnagar, Bhairahawa and Panchkhal and is ready to facilitate leather goods and footwear manufacturers find space in SEZs, he added.

The minister also asked the manufacturers to come up with a clear plan on what should be done to be self dependent on leather goods and footwear in the next five to 10 years. "The entrepreneurs must have a detailed plan on how to get raw materials in the country and increase skilled manpower for the sustainability of the industry," he added. "The economic revolution is possible only with the joint efforts of both the private sector and the government and the government is ready to co-operate the private sector."

Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) president Suraj Vaidya, on the occasion, asked the government to check the smuggling of goods to help make the domestic products competitive. "The government must also provide tax break for the raw materials to increase domestic production," he added. "The CTEVT should also help produce skilled manpower for the local industries."

Vice president of the FNCCI hailed government effort to promote the private sector.

"The open and porous border, energy crisis, and lack of skilled manpower have hit the domestic industries," said Leather Goods and Footwear Manufacturers Association president Homnath Upadhayay.

The 10^th expo – which runs from December 24 to December 30 – that has more than 90 stalls of the domestic goods and footwear manufacturers is also promoting the collective logo "Made in Nepal' to help check the imported leather goods and footwear that have been sold in the market in the name of domestic.

There are around 700 leather goods and footwear manufacturers that cover around 60 per cent of the market demand.

Rs 1.9 billion ADB grant assistance for skill development

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is providing Rs 1.924 billion grant assistance for the implementation of Skill Development Project.

The project is expected to support develop a market responsive and social and gender approachable Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) system, according to Finance Ministry.
The project will focus mainly on four major aspects like expanded provision of inclusive market-oriented training, improved quality and relevance of TVET provision, policy, institutional and operational reforms and effective project management and monitoring and evaluation, the ministry said.

Finance secretary Shanta Raj Subedi and ADB country director for Nepal Kenichi Yokoyama signed the agreement here today at the Finance Ministry.

The grant assistance would support in producing human resources for the economic development of the country, said Yokoyama, after signing the agreement. “Some 50,000 skilled human resources would be produced from the project,” he said.

The project will be important in creating employment opportunities, inclusive development and for the alleviation of poverty, the finance secretary said, on the occasion.

The project is expected to be completed in five years from September 2013.

The Education Ministry will be an executing agency and Council for Technical Education and Vocational Training (CTEVT) will be the implementation agency for the project.