Lack of O&M Survey in hospitals hampers service delivery: Health Minister Yadav

Kathmandu, June 24: Minister for Health and Population Pradip Yadav has said the longstanding absence of Organisational and Management (O&M) Survey in hospitals has caused troubles in rendering healthcare services.

In his response to queries raised in a meeting of the House of Representatives today regarding the Appropriation Bill-2081 BS today, the Minister said the O&M Survey has been awaited for hospitals for over two decades and the quotas allotted previously are inadequate to meet the current demands for healthcare services.

He apprised the House about the revisions (increase) in a subsidy of Rs 100 thousand to eight chronic health complications including cancer and head and spinal injury.

He said discussions are underway to introduce a subsidy for liver transplantation. 

Since he assumed the office, he has been effortful in addressing the situation forcing patients to wait for a long for surgery in a central office. A ministerial-level high-level team has been formed to assess the situation, according to the Minister.

Extended services have been launched at some federal hospitals to discourage government hospital doctors from visiting private ones, he added.

The programme for the upcoming fiscal year is about operating the Kathmandu-Valley-based large hospital into two shifts, implementing the extended service program, and adding a modular surgery room, as stated by the Minister. 

"I have directed the bodies concerned to make the rate of service charge provided from the hospitals at the time of renewal and upgrading of the operation of health institution appropriate and contextual," he said.

Stating that arrangements for treatment of the burn patients  would be made at NAMS and at the federal hospitals based in provinces from the upcoming fiscal year, the Health Minister informed the parliament that provision for additional treatment for burn patients would be made in coordination with the Bir Hospital and the Kirtipur-based Burn Hospital.

He said that adequate budget has been allocated for the under-construction hospitals of five/10/15-bed-capacity hospitals and on the case of those hospitals which have been completed, the approval of the Ministry of Finance and other related ministries has been sought on the proposal presented by the Ministry of Health and Population seeking the required human resources for the operation of these hospitals.

According to the Minister, provisions have been made for operating the Mother Protection Programme, the treatment of eight major diseases and the health insurance scheme so that the patients from the lower economic strata and indigent communities will be able to avail health care services at the private hospitals.

He informed that the construction of health infrastructure and managing the required human resources were the major challenges in the health sector at present.

"The Ministry has been allocated a budget of only to four to five percent of the total national budget since the past years. It should have been 10 percent of the total national budget as stipulated by the World Health Organisation. But it has not been so far," the Health Minister complained.

Minister Yadav urged the Finance Ministry, the Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration and other related ministries for providing the required support and cooperation to the Ministry of Health and Population, keeping it in special priority.