10 April 2019, Kathmandu
The government (Ministry of Health and Population) is to establish a trauma centre in each state. Necessary preparations are underway towards this end, said the Ministry. Presently, it is working on projects of establishing at least one medical college in every state. Similarly, works are on the progress to build health post buildings at 1,200 wards; and a 15-bed health facility at 640 local levels.
Ministry’s joint-secretary Dr Bikash Devkota shared information about this today during the inaugural session of the fifth summit of health and population scientists organised with the theme of ‘equity in the federal system and research for development’.
As the joint-secretary said, the new health policy was implemented with a view to producing healthy, productive, responsible and happy citizens. In the past 20 years, Nepal recorded achievements in the safe motherhood, control of communicable diseases and construction of health-related physical infrastructure.
Ministry’s Secretary Dr Pushpa Chaudhary said efforts were underway to sort out issues concerning the adjustment of health employees.
Event organiser National Health Research Council (NHRC)’s senior research officer Dr Meghanath Dhimal informed the gathering that lately in the country non-communicable diseases were taking more lives than by the communicable ones.
Former health secretary Dr Sudha Sharma was of the view that poor bore the brunt of state’s less investment in health sector.
Around one thousand scientists from India, China, Germany and America including Nepal are participating in the three-day event. According to NHRC chair Prof Dr Anjani Kumar Jha, the summit outcomes will be helpful in formulating new policies in the days to come. A total 33 working papers will be presented during the summit.
Health equity and development, social development insurance, non-communicable disease, maternity health, child health and adolescent’s health, mental health, communicable diseases, biological health and health system, health system, health economics and financing, health promotion and technology are an array of subjects for discussion in the gathering.
Various awards will be presented on the occasion as well. The NHRC is organising the summit to mark its anniversary.
Meanwhile, all services except emergency at the Bir Hospital ha remained disrupted for the past four days due to a protest by Government Doctors’ Association of Nepal. The state-owned hospital receives hundreds of patients on a daily basis. The protestors have shown disagreements with the adjustment of government employees under the new federal setup.
