Damaged health ministry seeks temporary workspace

KATHMANDU: The Ministry of Health and Population has been completely destroyed in a fire during the recent Gen-Z protests. The ministry has confirmed that it is now searching for a temporary space to continue its operations.

The four-story building at Ramshah Path, along with all furniture, vital documents, computers, and even vehicles in the compound, has been reduced to ashes.

The absence of the building has severely disrupted the ministry’s daily functioning. Currently, officials are assessing the damage and preparing official reports.

Secretary of the Ministry, Dr. Vikas Devkota, said that immediate efforts are focused on coordinating medical treatment for the injured and supplying hospitals with essential materials. “Every room, every piece of equipment has been destroyed. Nothing remains. It was impossible to salvage anything,” he said.

To maintain operations, the ministry plans to partially resume work tomorrow from the Nepal Health Research Council (NHRC) building, located behind the burnt-down office.

Although the NHRC building sustained minor vandalism, it was spared from the fire. Secretary Devkota added that relocation to Singha Durbar would be considered once space becomes available.

Meanwhile, the country has sworn in Sushila Karki as Interim Prime Minister, with cabinet expansion underway.

However, the Health Ministry now faces an unusual challenge—no office for the incoming minister. To address this, a single room at the NHRC building has been set aside for the minister, while staff will share a hall to continue work.

The Health Emergency and Disaster Management Unit is currently operating from a separate building at Bir Hospital.

Officials have also begun printing digital copies of crucial documents from email records to continue essential work.

“We will continue functioning in this temporary setup until new leadership provides further direction,” said Dr. Devkota.