No one will be left to die without treatment: Minister Basnet

By Siraj Khan,Nepalgunj, Sep.1: Minister for Health and Population Mohan Bahadur Basnet has said that no needy and poor Nepali will be left to die without receiving treatment due to financial constraints.

 During an inspection of Bheri Hospital in Nepalganj on Thursday, Minister Basnet said that the current government's primary focus was to offer high-quality medical care free of charge to every poor and marginalised individual across the nation.

Minister Basnet said, "In accordance with the provisions outlined in the Constitution, the government is committed to ensuring free and quality healthcare for poverty-stricken people of the remote areas. 

Adequate budget and workforce will be allocated to fulfil this commitment."

The government has initiated a campaign to standardise the services of government hospitals nationwide, aiming to deliver high-quality medical care to all citizens in a simple and accessible manner, he added. 

He said the doctors who had exclusively practised in the urban areas with facilities for over two decades have been sent to the remote and rural areas. 

"All doctors in the government jobs will be treated equally and each one will be required to go to the place assigned by the government,” he added. 

Stating that the lack of manpower in health services has become a big challenge, Minister Basnet said that when he was the Minister of State for Health 22 years ago, there were 32,000 employees. 

However, he noted that rather than growing, the manpower count has declined to 31,000 in the present day.

On the same occasion, he pointed out that complaints regarding inadequate hygiene and unprofessional conduct from healthcare staff and government hospital employees have been heard from all over. 

He also urged the relevant authorities to address these issues promptly.

Likewise, chief medical superintendent of the hospital Dr. Pawan Jung Rayamajhi informed about the hospital's present conditions, service delivery, existing problems, and existing challenges. 

Stating that lack of sufficient manpower and infrastructure has hindered the hospital's capacity to deliver efficient patient care, Dr. Rayamajhi has appealed for assistance from the Ministry to address the issue.