KATHMANDU, Dec 19: Former Health Minister Dipak Bohara on Thursday urged the government to give continuity to monthly livelihood allowance to kidney patients.

Expressing solidarity over the ongoing agitation of kidney patients, Bohara raised question on the Oli-led government's decision to discontinue Rs 5000 monthly livelihood allowance to the patients suffering from kidney failure, cancer and paralysis.

"In 2017, the government led by Sher Bahadur Deuba had decided to provide Rs 5,000 monthly livelihood allowance to the patients suffering from kidney failure, cancer and paralysis. But, after the formation of the new government, it discontinued the program that began when I was the health minister. Now, the kidney patients have been agitated," Bohara said in a press release.

Bohara, a leader of the Kamal Thapa-led Rashtriya Prajatantra Party said "It is notable here that Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli himself is a kidney patient. But, why the government decided to discontinue such an important program?"

Then PM Deuba had inaugurated the program handing cheques worth Rs 5,000 each to 27 patients receiving treatment at Bir Hospital and National Trauma Centre in Kathmandu. In December 2017, a meeting of the Council of Ministers presided by Deuba had decided to provide Rs 5,000 to patients suffering from life-threatening diseases.

The kidney patients have been demanding the hemodialysis be made free at all hospitals and kidney transplantation procedures be eased.

 
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