The government is planning to make it mandatory for all medical colleges in the country to dispense speciality services in the districts specified by the Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP).

The plan, as envisioned by the government’s policy and programmes for the year 2014/15 that was presented in the Legislature-Parliament on Sunday, will ensure child specialists, gynaecologists and surgical facilities in district hospitals which are struggling to provide proper health care services.

The plan comes in the wake of MoHP’s efforts to strengthen the district hospitals and make medical colleges “accountable”. MoHP, which has plans to implement the programme in altogether 20 district hospitals, will start by applying the programme in five district hospitals. Initially, only the government medical colleges will be asked to choose the district in which they want to work.  

Dr Guna Raj Lohani, chief of Curative Division at the MoHP said last year they could not implement the programme as the heading of the budget allocated for district hospitals did not align with the plans to make medical college provide speciality services in the district hospitals. He said they have demanded Rs 20 million so that Rs 4 million can be spent in each district hospital in the first phase.

“Half of the money (Rs 2 million) allocated to each district hospital will be used in developing its infrastructure and medical equipment in the hospital, while the remaining half will be used for facilities to support doctors and medical students coming from the medical college which is supposed to provide speciality services there,” said Dr Lohani.

Since there are altogether 22 medical colleges in the country, Dr Lohani said each of them will be authorised to choose their respective districts and start providing various health services all year round.

source: the kathmandu post,30 june 2014