Health professionals draining due to inappropriate policy choice: Health Minister

Kathmandu, March 24: Minister for Health and Population Pradeep Paudel has admitted that the health professionals are draining due to failure to adopt appropriate policy measures.     

In his address to the fifth convocation ceremony of the National Academy of Medical Sciences (NAMS) Bir Hospital here today, he further claimed that the situation of the State was also to blame for brain drain alongside the policy lacunas.     

Minister Paudel shared that more than 1,500 home-grown health professionals are going abroad every year which has resulted in dearth of human resource required for the health sector.     

He said that the challenge should now be averted through appropriate policy choice and reforms, calling for cooperation from all sides to that end.     

Minister Paudel, also the Vice-Chancellor of NAMS, lauded its contribution to the production of qualified and reliable human resource in Nepal.     

"There is almost non-existence of human resource in some health facilities outside the Valley. The skilled human resource graduated here should go outside the Valley to serve the people with strong determination", he said, adding, "The government is making necessary plans to increase the number of doctors and nurses by conducting organization and management survey (O&M) and addressing the brain drain challenge".(RSS)