All Nepalis get vaccines by end of 2021: PM Oli

KATHMANDU, July 11: Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has vowed that all Nepalis will get vaccines by the end of this year- 2021. “Nepali people should not worry about availability of vaccines against COVID-19 now,” he reiterated.

The PM said it while inaugurating a newly constructed surgical building of Bir Hospital, the oldest health facility of Nepal, here today. 
“Vaccine is being brought. It comes regularly. Efforts are underway to make new agreements to ensure vaccines to maximum population in the country,” he reminded.

PM Oli further assured that government was devoted to saving people’s lives with the guarantee of vaccines. Although it was feared in the beginning that Nepalis would not get vaccines, it was now unnecessary to worry about it. “We are able to provide health safety to people with vaccines,” he vowed, arguing that government would be successful to augment treatment facilities to the people.

The PM reminded that the struggle against COVID-19 was continued with the slogan- ‘Life First’. “Life is the first priority. It is the precious asset so its protection is major duty”, PM Oli said, asserting that Nepal got huge success to control coronavirus despite limited health services and resources. He strongly urged the people to be aware of their health as it was rumoured that third and fourth waves of COVID-19 would afflict the populace again. 

The PM drew the attention towards slow mobilization and development of Bir Hospital for various reasons and directed the hospital administration to deliver effective service being guided by human values and service. Medical persons’ behaviour with patients and their attendants should improve, he suggested.

The PM took time to claim again that Nepal is the provenance of knowledge, medical science, surgery and medicine, but expressed worry over disappearance of such achievements. The practice of surgency was developed 2,500 years back in Nepal. ‘Shrutishamhita’ is the significant aspect of surgery and ‘charaksamhita’ of medicine, he claimed, adding that Ayurved was developed based on these.

Stating that effectiveness of Ayurved science was everywhere in the world's universities, he said its significance was vanishing in Nepal. He was of the view that the country's medical sector had become more robust than in the past.

"I first time had undergone the kidney transplant in New Delhi, India 14 years ago and second time it was successfully conducted at home,'' the Prime Minister said.  He further added that the kidney transplant outside home was costlier too. 

He went on to say that Nepal had to send the swab sample to Hong Kong lab for the coronavirus test in the beginning, but now there are over 100 labs in the country for the test. 
 
The PM also claimed that in the past three years, country's medical sector made a big stride in terms of the production of skilled human resources, specialisation of hospitals, availability of equipment and so on. 

According to him, medical care facilities in Nepal are not expensive as abroad and urged all the bodies concerned for the contribution to making the health services accessible for all. 

The PM expressed his hope that the Bir Hospital would further take its image and prestige to a new height and medical workers  would be able to maintain professionalism while on duty. He instructed for operating the hospital in a full-fledge capacity. On the occasion, he thanked the contractors' companies for completing the Hospital building construction project and others on time. 

He took a time to remember the late Bir Shumsher, the founder of the country's oldest hospital. 

According to National Academy of Medical Sciences Vice Chancellor Pro Dr Dev Narayan Shah, the newly constructed surgical building is equipped  with 509 beds.  As he announced on the occasion, families of two workers who had died in an accident during the building construction works would be entitled for free hospital services. 
    
Bir Hospital's Chief Administrative Officer Prof Dr Jageshwor Gautam said the Hospital would deliver specialised services and its services could be free if the hospital gets Rs 5 billion in grant from the government. 

The deadline for completing the project was till mid-November and three companies: One Chinese and two domestic ones- worked together for the project. The PM honoured them with a letter of appreciation for completing the project before the deadline.