KATHMANDU: The committee tasked with recommending candidates for the Director positions at the Medical Education Commission has put forward four names for consideration. According to sources familiar with the matter, Prof Dr. Guruprasad Khanal, Prof Dr. Sujan Babu Marhatta, Prof Dr. Sudip Acharya, and Dr. Sarala Shrestha have been recommended based on their expertise in the field. The final decision on their appointment is expected to be made today.

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, who also serves as the chairman of the Medical Education Commission, established a three-member committee led by Dr Ram Kumar Phuyal of the National Planning Commission on November 9, 2023, to oversee the appointment process. The committee was tasked with filling four vacant director positions within the commission.

Twenty applicants initially applied to the committee in response to an advertisement published in December 2023. A thorough selection procedure comprising presentations and interviews resulted in the shortlisting of 12 candidates for further consideration. Following the preliminary rounds, the following shortlisted candidates did not advance in the competition: Dr. Krishna Sagar Sharma, Prof. Dr. Dinesh Kumar Lamsal, Dr. Bhimsen Trikari, Prof. Dr. Bandana Gurung Sharma, Dr. Bijay Chandra Acharya, Prof. Dr. Suraj Bajracharya, Prof. Dr. Swayam Prakash Pandit, and Hariprasad Basyal.

The Criteria and Standards Directorate, the Coordination and Technical Development Directorate, the Examination Directorate, and the National Board of Medical Specialties will each appoint a director, ensuring that the leadership positions are filled across different areas of responsibility within the Medical Education Commission.