20% health facilities in Nepal has no drinking water and toilet facilities; Specialist doctor service in all villages within five years

Kathmandu / Jan 30: Of the total health facilities across the country, around 20 per cent of the health facilities in Nepal lack drinking water facility and toilet for service-seekers, a survey shows.

Report of the Nepal Health Facility Survey conducted by the Ministry of Health in 2015 was unveiled amid a programme here on Monday by Director of the Division of Population Health, Monitoring and Evaluation, Dr Dipendra Raman Singh.

The survey carried out in a total of 962 health institutes also covered the areas related to protocol of examining of patience, counseling on family planning, pregnancy services and childhood disease, according to the Ministry.

The report also brought to fore the reality checks on the ineffective administration of several health facilities where more than 50 per cent of the surveyed health institutions did not have regular power supply system and only 20 of them had communication tools.

One out of 10 health institutions had basic facilities available for service seekers, the report stated. Ironically, the report exposes that some of the health institutions did not have basic equipments like thermometers and essential drugs. RSS

Specialist doctor service in all villages within five years

Meanwhile, Health Minister Gagan Kumar Thapa has said the Ministry has the target to reach specialist doctor service to all villages within coming five years.

He said this at a talk programme ‘Silver Lining’ held at the 6th literary festival that concluded here on Monday under the aegis of Bookworm Foundation and Random Readers Society.

The Health Minister noted that the doctors in government service should at least work for a year in any designated health post.

Saying that the MBBS level classes would be run by setting up Medical College in all seven provinces, the Minister shared that regional level laboratory would be established in all provinces.

He further informed that the Ministry has sketched a plan to reach out quality treatment service to people through health facilities operating in all villages within five years, provided there is a budget provision of Rs 60 billion.

On the occasion, Executive Chief of Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) Kulman Ghising expressed his firm commitment to drive the NEA towards profit. He shared that the NEA currently is facing a mammoth loss of Rs 12 billion per annum.

He also shared that the management is effortful to check leakage in power supply. RSS