KATHMANDU, Sept 22: Minister for Health and Population, Mohan Bahadur Basnet has said that preparations are underway to amend the National Medical Education Act, 2075 BS to address the gaps in the legislation. 

Addressing a discussion programme on 'Curriculum on Teaching of Geriatric Care' organized by the Rapti Academy of Health Science here today, Health Minister Basnet underscored the need to remove the shortcomings in the Act.

"The Medical Education Act should be amended. Let us move forward by embracing the good aspects and make a good start by removing the weaknesses," he said, while stressing on the need of producing the required health professionals within the country itself.

Minister Basnet also reiterated that the State should not be weakened for fulfilling the objectives of certain people.

Stating that the entire Council of Ministers, including the Prime Minister, agreed on the amendment to the Act, he said that the process has already moved forward on the issues to be amended in the Act, with the involvement of the representatives of the Ministry of Health and Population and the Nepal Medical Education Council.

Minister Basnet stated that health and education are not only the basic needs of the people, but also the fundamental rights of the citizens. He added that the government is actively working to provide free health services to the citizens.

RAHS to provide course on Geriatric Health Care

Meanwhile, the Rapti Academy of Health Science (RAHS) has made preparations for teaching the Geriatric subject with the objective of producing the geriatric disease specialists within the country itself.

RAHS has also prepared the curriculum of the subject after consultations with the related experts.

RAHS Director and Geriatric Disease Specialist Dr Ramesh Kandel informed that RAHS is going to teach the Geriatric subject for the first time in the country in view of the lack of 'MD and Fellow' programme in the subject.

The number of elderly people is increasing in the country of late. The number of geriatric specialists is nominal compared to the senior citizens population.

Only eight geriatric disease specialist physicians are registered with the Nepal Medical Council so far. Of them, only three are working in Nepal at present.

(RSS)

 
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