Kathmandu, June 25 :Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Health and Population, Upendra Yadav has said efforts are on to making the basic health services accessible to all and free of cost. Responding to queries raised by lawmakers on the topic related to the Ministry of Health and Population under the Appropriation Bill, 2076 BS in the meeting of the House of Representatives today, he said the health insurance would be expanded to all districts throughout the country within the coming fiscal year.

The DPM said, "Health institutions would be set up at all the local level wards until 2077 BS. Arrangements have been made to provide medicines even at the local levels to prevent shortage of medicines.

Provisions have been made for providing free health services to the indigent, underprivileged and helpless people as well as to the women health volunteers." According to the Health Minister, there is problem of lack of equipments in the health sector and it has only 671 specialist employees at present out of the need of around 3,000 such employees.

Similarly, there are only 1,337 MBBS doctors out of the required 3,000. He added that efforts are being made to provide better services although there is inadequate human resources and budget.

The DPM and Health Minister said arrangements have been made at 55 hospitals of 54 districts to provide medical treatment, psycho-social counseling and rehabilitation services to the survivors of violence.

"A separate budget has been arranged for upgrading the five various hospitals in the country," he said, adding that health insurance has been now expanded to 43 districts and it would be extended to all the districts in the next year. No health treatment abroad in government expense Stating that treatment for most diseases was possible within the country, DPM and Health Minister Yadav said the government will not bear the medical expenses of anyone undergoing treatment in a foreign country from the state coffers. He said the budget has provisions for promoting the naturopathy also as stated in the health policy.

The government has kept in priority the treatment services for non-communicable diseases as well, he said, adding that the required budget has been arranged for expanding the mental health service branches. DPM and Health Minister Yadav further stated that arrangements have been made for budget for the construction the Karnali Hospital to provide access to health services to the people of Karnali. He also asserted that the concept of 'one doctor and one health worker at every health post' would be gradually implemented by the end of the 15th five-year plan and that health services with additional facilities would be implemented in government hospitals.