A 15-bed hospital is to be operated at every local level within the next five years.
The Ministry of Health and Population has proceeded ahead with upgrading the possible existing health institutions at the local levels for this purpose.
Minister of State for Health and Population Dr Surendra Yadav said these hospitals will have at least one specialist doctor with the degree of MD.
According to the Ministry, 1200 wards of the municipalities and rural municipalities lack any kind of health facilities.
The Ministry has said it is going to start health services from the ward level, managing the required physical facilities, human resources and equipment through coordination with the local and province levels.
In this connection, the Ministry is presently collecting data on the number of local levels which have 15-bed capacity hospital.
“The number of health institutions that could be upgraded to 15-bed hospitals would be known on the basis of the data that we receive from the local levels,” Dr Yadav said.
He said there was paucity of budget for operating hospitals at the local level and the Ministry of Finance has been approached to provide the money required for this.
The Minister of State for Health also stated that the Public Purchase Act needed to be amended for easing the process of purchasing the medical equipment and medicines.
