Himalayan News Service

Kathmandu, February 27,

A two-day joint conference of Nepalis Society of Clinical Neurosciences (NSCN) and Society of British Neurological Surgeons started here today.

Addressing the meet, Prime Minister Surya Bahadur Thapa said, "The major challenge facing the neuroscience sector is to narrow the gap of modernisation and access to medical equipments between the developed and developing countries."

"Neuroscience plays a pivotal role in alleviating complex physical and mental problems," said the Minister for Health,Kamal Thapa. Meanwhile, senior neurosurgeon Dr Upendra Devkota highlighted that the majority of the population were not able to afford the extremely expensive neurological services. "It is extremely difficult to provide services in this field in a country like Nepal, where people do not even have access to primary health care services."

Dr Devkota, who is also a former health minister said that inability to provide primary health care services to the general public was against the Geneva Convention.

"The government is investing only four dollars per person every year for health services," said he adding that only a person who has served as the health minister can understand about the lack of resources in the health sector in Nepal.

Senior neurologist Dr Dinesh Nath Gongol was honoured for his significant contribution in the sector, while Dr Prakash Bista was felicitated for having had attained Masters degree in neurology for the first time in the medical history of Nepal.

The conference is being participated by neurosurgeons from Nepal, Britain and other countries. Abdeslam El Khamlichi, president of 13th World Congress of Neurological Societies and Fred P Nath, chief delegate from Society of British Neurological Surgeons also addressed the inaugural gathering.