Kathmandu, January 28:

In order to provide the hospitals with adequate budget to run their programmes, the government is planning to revise the provisions of the ‘Health Tax Fund’. The revision will also help address other problems being faced by the hospitals.

Assistant minister for health, Niksya SJB Rana, said that the government was planning to revise the provisions of the ‘Health Tax Fund’, which will be applicable from next year. “The Health Ministry has given non-communicable diseases more priority. There will be revision in the government plans to check the death rates due to these diseases,” Rana said while addressing a gathering at the 10th anniversary of the Shahid Gangalal National Heart Centre (SGNHC).

Dr Mana Bahadur KC, a cardiologist, said the government should provide a fixed budget for the ‘Health Tax Fund’ so that the hospitals can plan their programmes early. “The patients will also benefit greatly if the government can subsidise expensive equipment,” Dr KC said.

Dr Bhagwan Koirala, executive director at the SGNHC, said the health insurance policy needed to be revised in order to provide free health service to all. He said that the centre had been charging fees of those who can afford them and either providing services for free or at minimal charges to the ones who cannot pay.

“Even the WHO 2002 report states that non-communicable diseases are the major killers in developing countries. Hence the government should do something to address this problem,” said Dr Koirala. He also highlighted the lack of co-ordination between different hospitals across the country.

A total of 260 heart operations were performed at the centre, surpassing the target of 125. There were 183 open-heart surgeries, 30 close-heart surgeries and 47 other surgeries. Highlighting the prestige the centre has gained internationally, Dr Koirala informed that four foreign medical doctors were being trained at SGNHC.

Kirti Nidhi Bista, vice-chairman of the council of ministers, talking about the need of leadership in every field, said there was no dearth of leaders in the country. “The recent turn of events may lead many people to think otherwise, but there is no leadership vacuum in the country,” Bista said.