Focus on delivery than making tall promises: Minister Paudel

By Our Correspondent,Narayangadh, Nov. 28: Minister for Health and Population Pradip Paudel has said that people feel disheartened when political parties make grand promises while in government but fail to allocate the necessary resources to fulfill them.

Addressing the 12th memorial meeting of Nepali Congress leader and founding chairman of former Shaktikhor Village Development Committee founding chairman Bal Bahadur Shrestha in Shaktikhor on Wednesday, Minister Paudel emphasised the importance of delivering tangible outcomes that directly benefit the people.

“We failed to highlight the achievements made for the people when we were in government, which has caused disappointment among them. Additionally, our inability to secure resources while in office has contributed to their additional dissatisfaction,” he said.

“We have come to realise that the work we have accomplished must be communicated to the people. It is equally important to make the achievements made for their benefit known to the general public,” said Minister Paudel. He said that while socialism and democracy exist in the health sector, the lack of improvements aligning with public expectations has heightened frustration.

“It is definitely necessary to make some improvements. It should be done in a way that reaches the people,” he said. He also pledged to upgrade the health centre established by the late Bal Bahadur Shrestha into a basic hospital.

“It is also important to classify hospitals, with the classification based on the number of beds rather than the range of services,” he stated. “Discussions are underway regarding whether the Shaktikhor Health Centre, located in this rural area, should operate exclusively as a maternity or birthing centre,” he added.

Minister Paudel expressed gratitude to the late Bal Bahadur Shrestha and his family for donating land for the establishment of the health centre.

“Even today, some mothers are compelled to give birth without undergoing a pregnancy test throughout the entire nine months. Therefore, birthing centres must be given a top priority,” he remarked. He also stated that the government was prepared to provide all the necessary equipment to establish a basic hospital.

Health Minister Paudel also remarked that the responsibility of institutionalising the development of democracy, achieved through the contributions of seniors like Bal Bahadur Shrestha, now rests on the youth. “Let us begin developing democracy by respecting seniors like Bal Bahadur,” he added.