Nawalparasi, December 15:

Minister of State for Health and Population Shashi Shrestha today said that entire health sector should be restructured.

Inaugurating of the Mid-point Community Memorial Hospital at Agyauli Danda in Nawalparasi , Shrestha said: “Jana Andolan II gave people the power to the people. If we want to develop the country, we have to provide the basic health services to people all over the country.”

Shrestha said that government had allocated only seven per cent of the national budget to the health sector. At least 10 per cent of the budget was needed for the health sector to provide quality service to the people, she added. She also said that health workers had developed a tendency to shun postings in rural areas.

She added: “Action will be initiated in a week’s time against those health workers who do not go to their places of posting.” The state minister warned that if the regional chiefs of the concerned departments did not provide the names of absentees, action would be taken against them.

The hospital began services today itself. Established as the first community hospital in the district, it has 16 beds, hospital committee member Kedar Ghimirey said. Located near Mahendra Highway, it will provide medical treatment to road accident victims on a priority basis. It will also cater to people from all over the district.

Services include emergency, OPD, ultrasound, ECG and X-Ray.