Govt at work to upgrade public health labs: Health Minister Paudel

Kathmandu: Minister for Health and Population, Pradip Paudel, has informed that the government is at work to expand the capacity of all public health laboratories to ensure everyone’s access to improved lab facilities.

Minister Paudel also said the government was working actively to end the trend of sending samples abroad for lab tests. Minister Paudel said it during a health camp organised by Nepal Press Union on the occasion of its 34th anniversary on Sunday.

He, however, said, ‘Many samples which had to be sent abroad for lab test earlier are now available within the country. Even the budget has addressed the plight that one would be forced to go abroad for a lab test any more.’

The treatment system will be further managed, he said, adding that procurement of health equipment would be made transparent. Even the equipment that had broken down was repaired by the National Innovation Centre and reused in health facilities, according to him.

On the occasion, National Assembly member Padma Pariyar viewed that such health camps would also benefit the journalists as they are mostly involved in field reporting and are short of time. He spoke on the need to prioritise the issues of differently able journalists.

Kathmandu chapter chair of Press Union, Maheshwor Gautam, said the camp was organised to provide a health checkup to working journalists. Specialist doctors from various hospitals of the Kathmandu Valley provided health checkups during the camps.

RSS