Lawmakers demand increasing budget in health sector

Kathmandu, June 28: Lawmakers at the meeting of the Women, Children, Senior Citizens and Social Welfare Committee under the Legislature-Parliament today demanded to increase budget in the health sector to provide quality health services to all people. They also stressed on the need to make budget expenditure effective.

Speaking at the meeting lawmaker Shreemaya Thakali said, "It is the negligence towards general public’s health to not increase budget for the health sector."

During the meeting called to discuss on the implementation of the budget allocated in the health sector and prepare plan for the next fiscal year, Minister for Health and Population Khagaraj Adhikari said, "The National Planning Commission act of decreasing limitation of budget in a sensitive sector like sector is not good."

He said it is reported that the government has decreased and approved a budget of Rs 35.26 billion against Rs 38 billion in the last fiscal year. It is 5.2 per cent of the total budget against last year's 5.4 per cent.

The government is neglecting the health sector though Nepali people in the remote districts have to lose their life for failing to get minor treatments.

Lawmakers Thakali, Dr Banshidhar Mishra, Rajendra Pandey, Anuradha Thapa Magar, Dr Ganesh Gurung, and Sindhu Jalesa among others suggested that the Nepali women have to die due to lack of necessary treatment during pregnancy, lactating period, and many other conditions and suggested to manage free health treatment and air ambulance to prevent such incident. RSS