Govt won’t pay VIP for medical care abroad: Minister Basnet

Minister for Health and Population, Mohan Kumar Basnet, has said the government will no longer cover the medical expenses of VVIP and VIP if they chose to seek services available and equivalent at Bir Hospital.

In his address to the 134th anniversary of the National Academy of Medical Sciences (Bir Hospital) on Friday, the Minister said, “Now the hospital avails VIP and VVIP cabins with the mobilization of a 15-member dedicated medical team to send a message to the world that it is capable of providing services to the VVIP to general public.”

Urging the hospital management to not leave any stone unturned to ensure quality services, he said the government was ready to facilitate towards that end.  The Minister took time to say that since he assumed the charge of Ministry, he could add around Rs 10 billion to health sector’s budget ceiling set by the National Planning Commission.

Now the Hospital ensures 700 free beds to the needy ones and its OPD services begin at 8:00 am.

On the occasion, Secretary at the Ministry of Health and Population, Dev Kumari Guragain, said the Bir remained as a symbol of the entire health sector in the nation and the Ministry was always ready to cooperate for its further enhancement.

NAMS Vice Chancellor Pro Dr Bhupendra Basnet said they had planned to add the number of ICU beds in near future.

According to Bir Hospital Director Dr Santosh Poudel, the hospital that had started its services as a 15-bed facility has now 966 beds. But the budget for the hospital has not increased relatively.  The government allocated Rs 730 million to the hospital in the current fiscal year.