Kathmandu, April 6:

Tomorrow is World Health Day, and the theme for this year is “Let’s Work Together for Health”. The day will be observed throughout the country by organising various awareness programmes.

With only 15 doctors for 10,000 people on an average, Nepal has the smallest number of health workers, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).

In his message on the eve of the World Health Day, Minister of State for Health and Population Mani Lama said it is the duty of all health workers to provide services as the Nepali people have the right to receive preventive, promotional and curative health services.

The country is facing problems because of brain drain and city-centric attitude of health manpower. The state has invested tens of millions of rupees to produce health professionals, he said, adding the government is working to boost the morale of the health workers to resolve the problem of brain drain.

The government is arranging 150 doctors, who have studied in government scholarships, to work in remote areas each year. In his message, Assistant Minister for Health and Population Niksha Shumsher JB Rana said the government has appointed some 20,000 health workers to provide urgent health services in the hills and the terai.

In his message, regional director of the World Health Organisation (WHO) Samlee Plianbangchang said the world relies on the health workers for all kinds of treatment and called for policies that help in the management of the health sector.

The number of health workers the world over stands at 39 million.