KATHMANDU, March 21: A new government is set to take shape under the leadership of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), which won nearly a two-thirds majority in the House of Representatives elections. After the elections, the party had released its pledge paper outlining ambitious plans to make health services more effective, alongside other commitments.
Maheshwar Ghimire, a founding member involved in drafting the pledge paper, confidently claimed that the health promises will be fulfilled. “The party did not announce a program; it announced a pledge. A pledge is a commitment to be delivered, and these commitments will be realized,” he said.
Ghimire explained that the first step will be to review programs implemented by the previous government and strengthen them, while also rolling out newly introduced policies. He pledged to ensure that all promises are results-oriented and completed within a year. Groundwork is already underway to reform policies and streamline supply management for health personnel and medicine programs, including those missing from basic health services. Existing health staff will be deployed appropriately to make services more effective. “We have heard that there are health personnel on paper but not in institutions. We will monitor this and deploy the necessary workforce,” he said.
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Ghimire also noted that insurance funds have weakened because not all citizens are enrolled, creating a financial strain. To address this, the government plans to enroll all citizens in insurance at birth, strengthening the program. “In other countries, insurance companies can provide services from revenue and still make a profit, but here the government bears the cost. This happens because not all citizens are enrolled,” he explained.
For disadvantaged and differently-abled citizens, Ghimire said the government will coordinate with local authorities to ensure insurance premiums are covered locally. Since citizen information will be available at the local level, this responsibility will be delegated to local governments. Some promises will also be fulfilled through national and international donor agencies, he added.
He said that the budget for next year’s health programs has already been prepared, so results from the pledged programs will begin to show in the next fiscal year. “It is already delayed. Work will start next year,” he noted. According to Ghimire, the party’s promises include strengthening the health insurance program, ensuring quality healthcare through a clear model, providing universal access to citizens, and managing all social security programs through a one-door system.
The pledge paper also includes establishing specialized resource centers in every province and providing integrated, quality health services to differently-abled citizens through one-door access for acupuncture therapy, switch therapy, and physiotherapy. Additionally, the paper highlights plans to organize basic health services, establish a Mental Health Directorate, and provide mental health services with doctors at all district hospitals.
Challenges ahead
Public health expert Dr Baburam Marasini says implementing the promised health programs will be challenging. “The new government will have to operate within the Constitution, making it difficult to introduce additional programs immediately. The current health insurance program itself is stalled due to financial constraints, so resources must be secured before launching new initiatives,” he said.
Experts note that fulfilling all promises will require billions more in the budget. Former Health Secretary Dr Senendra Upreti added that while the new government’s announced programs are crucial, implementation will be difficult. “These programs were discussed previously but could not be executed due to budget shortages. If the budget can be generated through the new tax system or donor support, then new programs could be implemented,” he said.
