Kathmandu, February 9

The Ministry of Health today said it was making preparations to launch emergency operation service involving consultant doctors in 13 more district hospitals with effect from February 12.

According to the MoH, other 17 district hospitals will also provide emergency operation service to patients from February 18.

Ram Krishna Lamichhane, undersecretary at the medical division of the ministry, informed that it had made a decision to launch the service in all districts which still lack consultant doctors and emergency operation facilities.

The districts that will provide emergency operation service involving consultant doctors from February 12 are Sarlahi, Dhading, Rolpa, Gorkha, Arghakhanchi, Udayapur, Dhankuta, Nawalparasi, Saptari, Kanchanpur, Dang, Nuwakot and Baglung.

A decision to this effect was approved by the Cabinet recently. For the delivery of the service, the government has collaborated with various health institutions and medical colleges. Lamichhane said consultant doctors and residential MD, MH, DM or MCH doctors would be deputed to district hospitals.

Necessary equipment and financial resources will be managed by the ministry for the service. The ministry has also made a provision of an all-side mechanism to make the service effective and manage resources and means. With the decision of the ministry, all district hospitals will deliver emergency service involving consultant doctors round-the-clock throughout the country from February 18.

Meanwhile, the ministry said it would do his best to make health services more accessible to all, and improve the quality of services by bringing about gradual changes in the health sector. It is also planning to depute a medical doctor each to primary health care centres across the country, so that people would not need to take the trouble of travelling to the district headquarters and big cities for treatment of easily curable diseases. The country has a total of 205 primary health care centres. They report to their concerned District Public Health Office.

The Ministry of Health has said primary health centres across the country would be provided necessary medical equipment by the next four months.

According to Health Minister Gagan Kumar Thapa, the government has allocated a budget of Rs 960 million for purchasing medical equipment necessary for health centres across the country.

Directives have already been issued to authorities concerned to take stock of physical infrastructure of 201 primary health centers across the country, availability of health professionals and instruments there and submit their reports to the ministry.