KATHMANDU, Feb 18 - After announcing free health service scheme in Sub-Health Posts and Health Posts throughout the country, the government health institutions are facing several challenges.
Despite the fact that the flow of patients has increased in health institutions, the Ministry of Health and Population has not been able to fulfill its necessary health worker's quotas.
None of the sub-health posts throughout the country has a peon because the quota of peons were scrapped during the armed conflict in the country to adjust with the then created new posts in Nepal Police and Nepal Army. Ninety-one out of 429 quotas for Medical Superintendents and Medical Officers are lying vacant.
Similarly, about 1,978 out of 3,956 posts of Village Health Workers (VHWs) are vacant. "Due to lack of regulations to implement Health Service Act, which was amended in December 2005, we are not being able to fill the post of VHWs," said Krishna Murari Neupane, chief of Staff Administration at Department of Health Services (DoHS).
Likewise, the term of 700 health workers who were hired as temporary staffs is expiring by next month. However, Neupane said that the ministry has already requested the Civil Service Commission to increase the term of temporary health workers. It has also requested the commission to fulfill about 700 posts with new vacancy announcement.
Besides the manpower crunch, reports from throughout the country are pouring in about the lack of funds and inadequate supply of medicines in health institutions that are supposed to provide free health care facility.
"The tender process for buying medicines is very complicated due to which it takes lengthy periods of time to complete," said Parsuram Shrestha of Management Division at the (DoHS). "However, all the district health offices will make it by mid March as they have already announced the tender."
Chuda Mani Bhandari, chief of Public Health at DoHS, said that even before the government decided to implement free heath service policy, the health ministry had initiated the process of buying medicines to be sent to health institutions. Under this process, the government had already bought 18 kinds of medicines. "Due to this, sub-health posts and health posts which are supposed to distribute 22 and 32 types of medicines, respectively, are expressing their inability to provide all the prescribed drugs," Bhandari said.
However, he said that the department has already sent Rs. 5,000 to each of 53 sub-health posts and five health posts in the districts with Low Human Index so that they can fulfill prevailing gap until the district provides them with additional medicines.
The Cabinet on October 8, 2007 decided to provide free basic health services to all. The government announced the implementation of the decision effective from January 15, 2008.
ekantipur
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