[BetterNepal] Govt mulls distributing 65 medicines free of cost

[sohan]

To make free health services more effective, the government is preparing to distribute 65 medicines including medicines for non-communicable diseases free of cost through public hospitals and health facilities across the country. 

The proposed distribution will include  25 additional medicines including those for non-communicable diseases like heart, mental health, diabetes, asthma and blood pressure. 


The government agency has proposed free distribution of medicines for non-communicable diseases for the first time. Several surveys have revealed that number of people affected by the non-communicable diseases are higher than those suffering from communicable diseases. According to a source at PHRD, medicines for depression, neurosis, and epilepsy have been added to the list of free medicines.


The division has also called for including medicines for fungal infections and gastritis to the list. Also, the division has proposed pulling out medicines for allergy and asthma after health workers complained the medicines, currently being distributed for free, are not effective. The district hospitals across the country are providing 40 different medicines free of cost.


The office has also proposed increasing the number of free medicines at Primary Healthcare Centers (PHC), health posts and sub-health posts. Primary Healthcare Centers are providing 32 medicines free of cost. 


Medicines for blood pressure will be provided to the people living in the Himalayan region. Survey shows that more than 30 percent of the patients visiting the hospitals have high blood pressure. Due to their poor economic conditions they cannot continue the medicine, which has to be taken throughout life. 


The office has also proposed providing all types of saline free of cost. "We have also decided to revise antibiotics doses," PHRD Director Dr Anand Shrestha said. He admitted that some of the medicines being distributed by MoHP are not in use and some are impractical.


The newly-added free medicines will not be distributed across the country at once, First piloting will be conducted in nine districts and next year a program will be formally announced in fiscay year budget.


The PHRD says that proposal for more free medicines was prepared after consulting health experts, representative of ministry, division chiefs of Department of Health Services (DoHS), doctors, PHC in-charges and paramedics working at health posts across the country. He said the ministry has yet to endorse the proposed list of free medicines.


Well we are yet to see if this thing will even really reach the ordinary peoples or it will yet become one another easy mean for corruption. Just for this time, avoid corruption, let peoples Live.
(source: republica)


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Posted By sohan to BetterNepal at 12/09/2011 10:27:00 PM