Blindness control tops child mortality in budget priority

[Angel]

KATHMANDU, July 21: Although infant and child mortality is taken as the biggest health problem in the country, the budgetary allocation for the year 2063/64 has set aside the biggest chunk of the programme budget for fighting blindness in five districts of mid- and far-west region.

The budget has allocated Rs. 1.21 billion for control of blindness in Kailali, Kanchanpur, Dang, Surkhet and Kapilvastu while the budget for community based integrated programme for children in 48 districts has been allocated at Rs. 13.1 million.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Health and Population Amik Serchan said that the Ministry would focus on providing basic health facilities to every Nepali and give priority to economically deprived people.

Presenting the concept paper on policy and programmes of the Ministry of Population and Health at a press conference Friday, DPM Sherchan said that people should get all health-related services through district hospitals, health posts, sub-health posts and other government hospitals across the country.

He said that the budgetary sources would be increased for fulfilling essential health care services and would start the policy of reward and punishment. He said that the Ministry would make environment for the doctors to work in the rural and remote parts of the country.

There would be an integrated approach in the district health institute and they would be mobilised with the concept of decentralisation. Health professionals would be empowered to provide quality health services to the people, Sherchan said. The ministry would start its steps to provide health security to injured and martyrs family of April movement.

The budget has 25 major programmes in the health sector and that include health insurance to families of those killed in the movement, assistance to those injured and establishment of revolving fund to purchase essential medicines in district hospitals with 25 beds.

Chief specialist at the MoHP Dr. Nirakar Man Shrestha presented achievements during last one month after the new government was formed. He said that the Ministry provided expert services to 70,000 and surgery to 700 people through five health camps during this time. He said that the ministry decided to separate Bir Hospital from National Academy of Medical Sciences and had plans to form Bir Hospital Development Board.

Dr. Shrestha said that the Ministry has send Framework Convention and Tobacco Control to the House of Representatives for ratification. There is a working committee formed for the amendment of policies and laws related to health.

Dr. Mahesh Maskey, advisor to DPM on health issues, said initial works to establish hospitals in Rapti, Karnali and Dhaulagiri zones would be started. There would be hospital preparedness for emergency (HOPE) in regional, central and zonal hospitals, he added. To control the AIDS and sexually transmitted diseases there would be Anti Retro Viral Treatment and Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission in 15 centres of eight districts.

Spokesman at the Ministry Arjun Bahadur Singh presented achievement works of fiscal year 2062/63.