Kathmandu, July 24

Former health minister Gagan Kumar Thapa said public hospitals were established to provide better and easily available treatment to all the citizens, especially the underprivileged, poor classes.

Speaking at a donation handover programme organised at Trauma Centre today, he said that each and every health facility should be available and affordable to citizens. It is their right to avail health services, so public hospitals must maintain the quality of health services.

Shail Kumar Upadhyay and Karen Bass trust was established at the National Trauma Centre to provide treatment to cancer patients of National Trauma Centre and medication for Chemotherapy for patients of Bir Hospital.

Bidusi Rana, niece of Shail Kumar Upadhyay, a former diplomat, who died because of cancer, handed over Rs 3.5 million to former minister Gagan Kumar Thapa. The trust will remain in the name of the couple Shail Kumar Upadhyay and Karen Bass.

Rana informed that the fund collected in the trust was saved in the bank and the interest generated from the trust would be utilised to provide health services to cancer patients.

Dr Ganesh Gurung, Chancellor of National Academy for Medical Science said, “We have been providing services from available resources but it is not enough for this kind of central hospital. Many underprivileged, abandoned, helpless people come every day to the hospital.