However, health experts say that ensuring the right to health as the fundamental right in the new constitution is not practical. They argued that the new constitution has ensured the same thing regarding health-related issues, which were already ensured by the Interim Constitution-2007."Poor ailing people in remote VDCs are compelled to die without getting basic health care services. The constitution has ensured equal access to health care services to all but people in the remote villages in far flung districts have been compelled to live enduring pain, as there are no health institutions," Dr Shyam Raj Upreti, a health expert, said adding, "How can one expect all those things, when the government has even failed to send health workers to remote VDCs."
According to Dr Upreti, one will be frustrated if the promises are not fulfilled. "It is better to mention only those things in the constitution that can be fulfilled," he added. The government had promised to provide basic health care services to all and declared to provide 70 types of essential drugs from the government health care institutions several years ago. But people have been deprived of those promised medicines. Patients in far flung areas are even compelled to have themselves examined by office peons at health posts and have been deprived of basic medicines like paracetamol.
"Such things have been promised in the constitution to show that they have brought a progressive constitution, "Dr Govinda Ojha, another health expert, said, adding that it would be naive to expect that things will become different once the new constitution is promulgated. "Pregnant women are compelled to give birth at home risking her lives, under-age children are compelled to die in remote villages without treatment," added Dr Ojha. He said that the government as well as political parties do not hesitate to spend millions for the treatment of their leaders in foreign hospitals but hesitate to open a big hospital in the Karnali region.
Dr Arjun Karki, Professor at the Patan Academy of Health Sciences (PAHS) however said the mention of the right to health as a fundamental right should be taken positively. He said that the government cannot escape for indefinite period without ensuring basic health care services. "Public should pressure the government to implement the constitution in its letter and spirit," said Dr Karki.
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