21-point health advice to CPN(UML)

Suggestions have been made to the CPN (UML) to include in the policy and program of the party in the health sector in the upcoming election. Yogesh Bhattarai, chief of the health and population department, and Dr Jhalak Sharma Gautam, president of the National Federation of Health Workers, presented 21-point suggestions in the manifesto to Ishwor Pokharel, senior vice-chairman of the party and coordinator of the local level election manifesto draft committee.

Understanding the suggestions, Senior Vice President Pokharel said that the party would play a leading role in implementing free health care as mentioned in the. He said that the declaration would specify how the local level would work in the health sector. Stating that the manifesto would be made keeping in view the rights given to the local level by the constitution, he informed that the party would make public two types of manifestos for the local level elections at the central and local levels.

It is suggested that health services should be given high priority and at least 10 percent of the development budget should be spent on the development of health services. In order to prevent and treat non-communicable diseases including liver and kidney-related diseases and cancer, the basic health care centers (health posts) at each ward level will be upgraded and free diagnosis, treatment, and remittance will be arranged in time and deaths due to these diseases will be reduced.

In the same suggestion, it has been suggested that each local level should implement health and population education in all the schools within its area with further modification, make the local level free from alcohol, tobacco, and unhealthy food and launch a campaign to build healthy citizens and prosperous society.

It has been mentioned that emergency services including ambulance will be provided 24 hours and 365 days from the local hospital and the local hospital along the highway will be developed as a trauma treatment center to provide emergency treatment to the injured coming from road accidents.

Citizens' access to health services will be enhanced by organizing integrated health camps with specialists at least once a year at each local level, especially in remote areas, in collaboration with specialist hospitals or teaching hospitals. Chief of the health department Bhattarai said that the party would implement the free health care provided in the constitution.