The government has transferred Health Secretary Yadav Koirala even as the COVID-19 pandemic rages.
Koirala, who was transferred to the ministry just three months back, has been transferred to the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers (OPMCM), according to an OPMCM source.
Secretary with the OPMCM Laxman Aryal has been sent to the Health Ministry to replace Koirala.
Health Secretary Koirala and Health Minister Bhanu Bhakta Dhakal have both faced criticisms for their failure in handling the pandemic.
The government was also not satisfied with performance of Koirala who has been accused of arrogance and annoyance toward staffers in the ministry.
Aryal has been roped in to improve the ministry's performance as the government prioritizes the health sector in the next fiscal year significantly raising the ministry's budget.
Aryal is a revenue service cadet known for integrity. He was involved in investigation of fake VAT bills and had also played a major role in recovering capital gain tax from Ncell while leading the Inland Revenue Department. He is also credited for reforms in the Kathmandu Metropolitan City.
He had recently worked as chief secretary of Province 5 and secretary at the National Planning Commission before being transferred to the OPMCM.
He was also involved in formation of the COVID-19 Crisis Management Center (CCMC) while at the OPMCM.
