President Bhandari stresses increasing access to health education

President Bidya Devi Bhandari has underlined the need of ensuring everyone's access to health education as per the aspiration of the people.

The President in a function organised on the occasion of the Golden Jubilee of the Institute of Medicine here today said health service has a direct connection with the lives of the people.

Stating that 'prevention is better than cure', the President was of the view that medical science should be benefitted from the developments in science and technology. Describing health and education opportunities as one of the major factors for rural-urban migration, the President drew the attention of bodies concerned towards that end.

"The Constitution has ensured people's access to quality healthcare services and the IoM has its contribution to the production of skilled health professionals."

Also speaking on the occasion, Minister for Health and Population, Bhawani Prasad Khapung, said it is challenging to ensure healthcare services in rural areas and it has posed a challenge in the implementation of the people's fundamental rights to basic health services.

"Nepal has achieved success in the vaccination drive against COVID-19, and so far 11,952 people have lost their lives to the virus. But now we have more strong health mechanisms and we hope the situation would not be worse as previous if the crisis returns."

He took time to say that Nepal achieved significant progress in heart surgery, and liver and kidney transplantation.

TU Vice–Chancellor Dharmakant Baskota said under the IoM, 2,300 people receive OPD services and 700 inpatient services on a daily basis while IoM Dean pro-Dr Dibya Singh Shah said the TU teaching hospital that had started services as a 301-health facility has now 1,000 beds. Under the IoM, Bachelor's to PhD degree programmes are available. It was established in 1972 with the support of the Japan Government and it has seven constituents, one central and 15-affiliated colleges across the country.

It is the hub for study, teaching and research for around 50 streams under the medical sciences.

IoM former Deans Prof Dr Mohin Shah, Prof Dr Hemanga Dixit, Prof Dr Gopal Prasad Acharya, Prof Dr Madan Prasad Upadhayay, Prof Dr Bhishma Raj Prasai, Prof Dr Hari Govinda Shrestha, Prof Dr Arun Sayami, Prof Dr Dharma Kanta Baskota, Prof Dr Rakesh Prasad Shreevastav, Prof Dr Keshav Prasad Singh and Prof Dr Jagadish Prasad Agrawal were felicitated on the occasion.