Ministry to discourage private hospitals in areas with government facility

The government is preparing to come with a policy to discourage the establishment of private hospitals at places already with a government health facility.

‘The Nepal Health Sector- Strategy Plan 2022-2030’ being formulated by the Ministry of Health and Population states that priority will be given to open a private hospital in an area not having a government hospital.

According to Ministry’s Policy and Planning Division Chief Dr Krishna Chandra Poudel, the preparation of the draft is underway. The government aspires to allow permission to opening a private health facility only in areas lacking a government one.

He informed that tax discount and subsidy would be given for establishment of private hospitals in such areas.

The submissions and views of various experts, organisations and service seekers are underway for the strategy formulation. “We aim to ensure quality health services accessible for all and the strategy is being developed accordingly. Presently, we are in the phase of collecting suggestions. We will discuss the strategy with the former health ministers and the Health and Education Committee of the Federal Parliament as well," Poudel said.

According to him, making the entire health system resilient, accountable and responsible in line with the federal structure, minimizing the risk of expenses to be borne by the citizen while utilising the health services, ensuring equitable and easy access to quality health services and managing the population, migration and growing urbanization are some of the goals of the strategy.

Division Chief Dr Poudel also said that their attention has been drawn to the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases in the context of increasing cases of non-communicable diseases compared to the infectious diseases at present.

According to him, the strategy also emphasizes on scaling up investment in health and expanding access to quality health care services for all.

"There is the need for increased investment in the health sector to address the health stressors created by unexpected pandemics such as COVID-19 and the health emergency situations as well as the increasing proportion of the older population," he opined.

The strategy includes topics as production of human resources as per the projection, mobilization of skilled health human resources, health discipline and ensuring of adequate economic investment in the health sector.

Ministry spokesperson Dr Sangeeta Kaushal Mishra shared that the strategy maintains improving the health standard of the general public. She expressed confidence that the strategy will help improve the overall quality of health services in the country.