KATHMANDU, June 5: Due to a lack of resources, many basic hospitals have not yet come into operation despite being fully constructed. Health and Population Minister Pradeep Paudel has initiated preparations to bring them into operation starting from the upcoming month of Shrawan (mid-July).
There are currently 57 such hospitals that are either non-operational or running below full capacity. The government also plans to build more hospitals in the new fiscal year.
Recognizing the lack of clear standards, Minister Paudel has shown active engagement in operationalizing local-level hospitals with 5, 10, and 15-bed capacities. The Ministry has recently finalized the Basic Hospital Operation Standards 2082.
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Based on these new guidelines, Minister Paudel is working on a detailed action plan to ensure federal-level support for human resources, medical equipment, medicines, and essential reagents to run these hospitals efficiently.
For this, Minister Paudel has formed a task force led by Dr Krishna Prasad Paudel, Head of the Ministry’s Policy, Planning, and Monitoring Division.
The task force will develop an action plan for federal government support and clarify the roles of provincial and local governments in operating these hospitals.
The ministry spokesperson, Dr Prakash Budhathoki, stated that the ministry has allocated nearly 1 billion in the upcoming Fiscal Year (FY) for the construction and operation of such hospitals, which will help facilitate their smooth functioning.