May 14, Kathmandu- The government has introduced a policy to operate hospitals with adequate manpower in two shifts. Presenting the policy and program of 2081/82 at the joint meeting of the Federal Parliament on Tuesday, President Ram Chandra Paudel informed that the policy of operating hospitals with adequate manpower in two shifts has been introduced.

He informed that outpatient services will be conducted in two shifts in hospitals with sufficient manpower including Federal Hospital, National Trauma Center, Kanti Children's Hospital.

All three levels of health service system, physical infrastructure, human resources and resources are integrated and coordinated to ensure basic health facilities to every citizen. Health services provided by the Union, State and local levels will be classified.

Kanti Children's Hospital will be upgraded and equipped with additional infrastructure. Shahid Galagal National Heart Center has introduced a policy to develop it as an institution capable of providing specialist products related to heart disease.

He informed that a policy has been introduced to guarantee basic health facilities to every citizen by integrated and coordinated mobilization of all three levels of the health service system, physical infrastructure, manpower and resources.

Health services provided by federal and local levels will be classified. President Paudel said that the construction work of the basic hospital, which is under construction, will be completed soon.

The government is going to start the construction of the hospital, which is at the stage of completion of the procurement process. Federal hospitals or health science institutes at the state level will be gradually upgraded to 500 beds. A policy has been introduced to upgrade and expand organ transplant institutions and services.

A special program will be conducted for safe motherhood and disease control. Free screening program for prevention of cervical cancer and vaccination services for children in the age group of 10 to 14 years will be extended to district hospitals.

It has been mentioned in the policy and program that fetal and newborn examination services will be started to identify birth defects or abnormal natural conditions at Charity Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital.

Geriatric Wards will be arranged in all hospitals so that senior citizens can get healthcare easily, telemedicine services will be operated in at least one federal hospital and at least two other hospitals in each province.

Records and service delivery related to health and treatment in federal and provincial hospitals will be made based on the electronic system. It is mentioned in the policy and program that there is no need to repeat the same type of tests and that medical records are updated by arranging for electronic records of health institutions to be accessible to each other.

The public health surveillance system will be strengthened for epidemic prevention and control and health emergency preparedness and response.

Health personnel will be arranged at border crossings and entry points and separate institutional arrangements will be made to prevent non-communicable diseases. He informed that an action plan based on "one health policy" will be implemented to reduce the adverse effects of animals, plants and the environment on human health.

It has been arranged that all the organized sectors, including government, non-government, across the country must join health insurance. Institutional arrangements for food and drug regulation are being made to ensure proper use of medicine and safe food. It is mentioned in the policy and program that the quality testing and regulation of medicines and medicinal materials, health equipment, cosmetics and nutritional supplements will be made more effective.

The capacity of the National Medicine Laboratory is to be increased along with the quality control of medicines. Alternative, natural and traditional medicine will be researched, developed and expanded. To achieve self-reliance in the production of basic Ayurveda medicines. The civil health program will be extended to the community level. Similarly, in the fields of public administration, education, health, tourism and social development, yoga and meditation self-awakening campaigns will be conducted at federal, provincial and local levels to build a healthy and ethical society by mainstreaming the original and scientific methods of yoga, meditation and self-awakening. The government has taken a policy to promote yoga and meditation tourism to spread the message of yoga and meditation around the world.

The government has also announced that it will give priority to mental health promotion activities such as prevention and control of drug addiction, control of mental anxiety and mental illness, and suicide prevention.