KATHMANDU, JULY 15 The government has issued Singha Durbar Baidyakhana Development Board Formation Order-2020, for production, sale and distribution of quality ayurvedic medicines. As per the order published in the Nepal Gazette this week, there will be an 11-member board led by a person nominated by the Government of Nepal from among the persons having obtained at least bachelor’s degree in ayurveda science and involved in the concerned field. Other members of the board include director general of the Department of Drugs, director general of the Department of Plant Resources, director general of the Department of Ayurveda and Alternative Medicine, executive director of National Ayurveda Research and Training Centre, gazetted second class officer of the Ministry of Health and Population, representative from the Herbs Production and Processing Company Limited and persons representing ayurvedic doctors. Functions, duties and power of the board are to manufacture ayurvedic medicines as per the standards set by World Health Organisation; enhance the capacity of Baidyakhana for sale of medicines within the country and export them abroad; formulate policies for operation and management of Vaidyakhana; identify and mobilise necessary resources for improvement and development of its services; protect physical property of Baidyakhana; coordinate with various agencies for expansion of its service; carry out organisation and management of human resources; designate agents for wholesale trade of medicines in foreign countries; and fix wholesale and retail price of the products. The board has been empowered to fix charges to be levied on service-seekers and patients; implement medical ethics; carry out functions related to collection, procession, conservation and expansion of herb, minerals and raw materials required for the production of medicines; and conduct regular monitoring and inspection of services provided by Baidyakhana. According to the order, a meeting of the board shall be held at least twice a month to take necessary decisions regarding the operation and management of Baidyakhana on majority basis. “There shall be an executive director to act as administrative head of Baidyakhana. The MoHP shall designate an 11th level employee of health service or ayurveda group to assume the office of executive director,” reads Section 9 of the order. Section 11 of the order states that the board may recruit employees with the consent of the Ministry of Finance and MoHP. There shall be separate fund for Baidyakhana. Grants received from the government, amount collected by Baidyakhana from the sale of its goods and services and amount received from foreign governments, individuals and institutions as assistance, shall be credited to the fund. However, it requires the board to obtain the consent of the MoF before accepting assistance or grants from foreign governments, individuals and institutions. Final audit of the board shall be conducted by the Auditor General. “The board shall submit its annual report of its activities to the MoHP, besides making it public,” reads the order. A version of this article appears in e-paper on July 16, 2020, of The Himalayan Times.