Free health camp organised targeting urban poor

Kathmandu, February 9

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Health and Population, Upendra Yadav today said unhygienic food and sedentary lifestyle had increased the risk of non-communicable diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular disease.

Inaugurating a free health camp organised by Nepal-Pakistan Friendship and Cultural Association here today, the deputy prime minister said the government would provide financial assistance to ensure people’s access to healthcare services.

The government recently endorsed the ‘Disadvantaged Citizens Medical Treatment Fund Directive’ for the establishment of a separate fund under the Ministry of Health and Population to provide financial assistance to needy citizens for their medical care and treatment.

Any beneficiary shall be entitled to a grant amount of up to Rs 400,000 for the treatment of prescribed diseases within Nepal on the recommendation of a three-member committee led by the chief of the concerned local level. Needy citizens suffering from cardiovascular disease, cancer, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, spinal injury, head injury, renal ailment and sickle cell anaemia may submit an application, accompanied by a recommendation of the local level, to the committee.

Each hospital designated by the government shall establish a separate focal point for effective arrangement of medical services to be provided to disadvantaged citizens. The directive also envisages a seven-member medical treatment management committee headed by secretary of the Ministry of Health and Population to make the services and facilities qualitative, systematic and transparent. Social Health Security Section of the Department of Health Services shall operate disadvantaged citizens medical treatment programme.

Former Deputy Prime Minister and CPN (Marxist-Leninist) General Secretary CP Mainali said the bilateral relations between Nepal and Pakistan had expanded since the establishment of  diplomatic relations between the two countries in 1960. He was of the view of making the SAARC, the regional body of eight countries in the South Asia, more active and vibrant.

On the occasion, Pakistan’s Ambassador to Nepal MazharJaved said the bilateral relations between the two countries had been extended to the people’s level with the allocation of medical scholarship quotas for Nepali students. He pledged to continue this sort of medical camps in the future as well.

According to Association President Himalaya Shumser JB Rana, this kind of health camp which is organised twice a year (one in Kathmandu and another in Kavrepalanchowk) has been in a calendar of the association since the past nine years.

The association’s general secretary ManjuRatnaShakya said the camp was organised targeting the urban poor.