Budget cut blow to free health services
Amid criticism that the state’s free health services have been ineffective, it has been revealed that the government reduced its budget for procuring drugs for free distribution by Rs 600 million this fiscal year. The government allocated Rs 1.75 billion for the purpose in the fiscal year 2010-11 while it has fallen to Rs 1.15 billion in FY 2011-12.
“The move might have come as there is plenty of drugs in store,” said Dr Migmar Gyalzen Shrepa, director of the Logistics Management Division at the Department of Health Services. “The government launched the free health service programme after the 2006 people’s movement. There was a high demand for drugs initially but it has fallen recently.”
Dr Sherpa added the cut in funds had nothing to do with the ineffectiveness of the programme as the government has done its best to supply drugs in every health institution of the country.
Apart from nine vaccines administered by the government for free, there are 40, 35 and 25 types of medicines distributed free by the government from the Primary Health Centres, Health Posts and Sub-health Posts, respectively. The Department of Health Services proposal that the Ministry of Health and Population expand the
number of drugs to 65 is under consideration, said Rupnarayan Khatiwada, official at the Primary Health Centre-Revitalisation Division.
“The demand for drugs such as Albendazole and Paracetamole, which was high in the recent past, too has decreased over the years. Taking cue from the substandard iron pills found across the country, the ministry needs to review the programme and its effectiveness,” a high-level officer at the ministry said, requesting anonymity. Common drugs have been supplied in large quantities while the expensive ones do not reach the target group and there is always a shortage of the drugs, he added.
A study of the Nepal Health Research Council on the status of free health care services at Health Posts and Sub-health Posts urges strong “monitoring and accountability from the community”.
Responding to the oversupply and undersupply of essential medicines, the report says the government should supply the drugs considering seasonal and regional variation of diseases and health problems.
Posted on: 2012-01-02 09:21
Post Your Comment
Today's Paper
The Kantipur in Print
FROM THE PAST 7 DAYS
ENTER KEYWORD OR DATE
FROM THE PAST 7 DAYS
ENTER KEYWORD OR DATE
Abin
All of them discussed the issue. The result was the same...and we have committed to continue discussions on the issue till midnight.
ADVERTISEMENTS
OUR PUBLICATION :
