Minister Paudel announces free cancer treatment for children under 14

Kathmandu, October 27 — Health and Population Minister Pradeep Paudel has decided to provide free cancer treatment for children under 14 years of age.

In a ministerial decision on Sunday, he announced that this service will be offered free of charge at government hospitals including Kanti Children's Hospital in Kathmandu, Bhaktapur Cancer Hospital in Bhaktapur, and BP Koirala Memorial Cancer Hospital in Bharatpur, Chitwan.

According to Minister Paudel's secretariat, arrangements have been made for free treatment starting from November 16. The ministry's policy is to provide free cancer treatment based on the state’s capacity, which involves significant expenses.

Under this initiative, Minister Paudel had started efforts to make cancer treatment for children free as soon as he took office. The ministry has stated that this arrangement will begin with children.

In Nepal, more than two-thirds of total deaths, or 71%, are caused by non-communicable diseases. Among these, 11% of deaths are attributed to cancer, according to public statistics from the Epidemiology and Disease Control Division under the ministry.

In 2022, 22,000 new cancer cases were reported in Nepal, with over 14,000 fatalities. Approximately 1,500 children are diagnosed with cancer each year in the country. Minister Paudel explained that the decision to provide free treatment aims to prevent these children from facing death due to financial constraints, enabling timely medical intervention to save their lives.

Dr. Prakash Budhathoki, the ministry spokesperson, informed that the shortfall in funds for treatment will be managed through internal resources of the ministry.