The National Pension and Provident Fund, NPPF, recently completed the 120-unit residential buildings for the Gelephu Regional Referral Hospital employees. Allotment of apartments for the hospital staff began last month. However, there are not many takers. Currently, more than 30 flats remain unoccupied. The NPPF initiated the 120-unit residential building construction in 2018 to provide quality housing to health staff upon signing a MoU with the health ministry.
The NPPF allotted 87 flats to Gelephu Regional Referral Hospital staff and 32 units for Gelephu Mindfulness City.
However, health staff occupied only 51 units and the remaining flats are vacant.
According to the Medical Superintendent of the Gelephu Regional Referral Hospital, the majority of the senior health staff own houses in Gelephu and the younger health staff did not want to occupy the NPPF units for privacy reasons.
The NPPF residential colony is around 500 meters from the hospital.
“The reason why some do not want the NPPF housing is because some health staff have their own house in Gelephu. Moreover, the rental charge for the NPPF housing is slightly higher than private apartments,” said Dr Choeda Gyeltshen, medical superintendent of the Gelephu Regional Hospital.
The monthly rental charge for a three-bhk apartment with air conditioning at the NPPF complex is Nu 10,500, and the same apartment without air conditioning costs Nu 10,000.
According to the NPPF office, the housing complex consisting of eight buildings with 120 units was built in accordance with the hospital’s requirement to accommodate its employees.
According to the MoU, the hospital employees have to occupy every unit. However, due to a lack of interest among some health staff, the NPPF management is now giving the units to other NPPF members working in other sectors in the region.
Karma Wangdi, Sarpang
Edited by Phub Gyem
