Federal Health Service Act to be formulated

Kathmandu, May 2: The government has pledged to formulate the Federal Health Service Act for the management of health personnel and qualitative services in the country.

While adopting both the preventive and curative methods, all aspects of the medical system will be developed under the “Healthy Nepal Campaign”. Cooperation will be forged among the federal, provincial and local governments to provide qualitative basic health services to all citizens and health system will be devised based on population, geography and burden of disease.

According to the government’s policies and programmes for the upcoming fiscal year 2082/83 BS presented at the Federal Parliament today, National Quality Accreditation Authority Act will be formulated for regulating quality of health services.

Intensive burn care and cardiac services will be expanded in all seven provinces and specialist services will be conducted in remote areas.

Each year, the month of Falgun will be declared as Non-Communicable Disease Screening Month and programmes will be conducted accordingly. Furthermore, cancer treatment and kidney transplant services will be expanded to the provincial level. HPV vaccines for cervical cancer and free cancer treatment services for children under the age of 14 will be made available.

Likewise, an advanced National Neuroscience Centre will be established in Kathmandu for the treatment of brain, spine, mental and neurological diseases. The ‘General Nursing Program’ will be conducted to ensure the supply of human resource of health sector.

Reservation in 22 medical education institutions will be provided to oppressed and marginalized communities. The coverage of treatment will be expanded by integrating them into health insurance system. The benefits package will be revised to include treatment of serious illnesses.

The Insurance Board will be restructured for good governance and financial sustainability of insurance services. Basic and essential medicines provided by the government will be integrated into the insurance system to reduce the financial burden on the system.

Services of all institutions delivering health services and treatment facilities including Social Security Fund, Employees Provident Fund will be made effective by integrating all fragmented health services.

Meanwhile, all government hospitals will be integrated into a single online service under a reformed “Nagarik App”. Production of basic and essential medicines will be promoted. A consolidated act related to medicines and medical supplies will be formulated.

Vidushi Yogmaya Ayurveda University will be operationalized as an Ayurveda Study Academy to strengthen Ayurvedic services and promote alternative treatment methods.

Public Health Surveillance System will be strengthened for the prevention of infectious diseases and response to pandemics. A Climate Health Resilient Unit will be developed to address climate change induced health challenges.

Population policy will be formulated to ensure that the population growth rate does not fall below the replacement rate. Health and demographic registration system will be integrated with the National Health Information System.