Health Services In Nepal

 
 

Health Services in Nepal

 

 

 
 
Nepal is, no doubt, a poor country. There are many traditional beliefs among the people, especially in rural communities. People in rural communities prefer traditional healers to modern medical services. Most people do not go to health posts or health centers; rather, they prefer to go to traditional healers. This belief or practice is one of the hindering factors to achieving good health. However, the Nepali government and different non-governmental organizations are trying to provide health services to different corners of the country.

Health Services in Nepal

Health services in Nepal are broadly classified into two types: traditional faith-based healthcare services and modern allopathic healthcare services. Treatment services that are provided by traditional healers like Dhami-Jhankri are an example of traditional health care services. Ayurvedic treatment is also an example of a systematic traditional health service. Healthcare services based on biomedicine are referred to as modern healthcare services.

Four types of modern healthcare service facilities are available in Nepal. They are
Preventive, promotive, curative, and rehabilitative health services

Preventive health services

The precautions, protective measures, or services provided before contracting a disease are known as preventive health services. Immunization against diseases, management of a healthy environment, and isolation of the victim of a communicable disease are examples of preventive health services.
There is a notion that prevention is better than cure. In Nepal, there is a shortage of health workers, hospitals, medicines, equipment, etc. As a result, curative health services have become more expensive and unattainable. If proper emphasis is given to preventive health care services, they become cheaper as well as more easily available. Many people, including children and women, can be protected from communicable diseases. Many diseases are produced due to a lack of sanitation, ill health habits, and ignorance. For example, diseases like diarrhea, cholera, worm infestations, typhoid, etc. are transmitted due to improper sanitation and ignorance. Many diseases can be easily prevented. Preventive health services are economically cheaper, and they can save lives and alleviate the suffering of many children and women each year. Hospitals, health centers, health posts, and health educators provide preventive health services in Nepal.

Curative health service

Curative health services are provided for the treatment of certain diseases. The service and health care facility given for curing diseases is known as curative health service. When preventive and promotive health services become ineffective, curative
Post-necessity care services of a specific curative nature are required. Tropical diseases, hospitals, and health services are available in Nepal. In communicable disease centers, some diseases require special treatment at some hospitals. HealthTeku, for
Leprosy Hospital Khokana, Eye Hospital, Tripureswor, Mental Hospital, and Patan are some major hospitals. To provide curative services, hospitals for specific age groups have also been established. Maternity Hospital and Children's Hospital are such hospitals. Naradevi Hospital in Kathmandu and Ayurvedic Hospital in Pulchowk are the main Ayurvedic hospitals serving the people of Nepal. Besides these, many private hospitals and nursing homes have been operated in various parts of the country to deliver health services to the people. Though there are many hospitals to provide health care and treatment facilities, many people, particularly the poor and ignorant, do not go to doctors. Rather, they prefer consulting traditional faith healers. This trend should be improved accordingly.

Rehabilitative Health Service

Rehabilitative health services are also provided to disease-affected and disabled people. Its motive is to readjust people to normal life again. Guidance, counseling, training, and support are provided to prepare people for normal life. They are supported in productive work to ease their livelihood. The victims of chronic diseases like leprosy, neurosis, and AIDS need a prolonged period to treat their diseases. They have to stay away from the family and society as well. Therefore, they must be trained to integrate into society.

Available health services at the Center

The Nepali government has established different kinds of health service agencies. There is a network of health services from the central level to the local level. The country has just entered the provincial system. However, a brief description of health services available in the country as per the earlier system is presented below:

Central level

Central-level health services are managed by the Ministry of Health itself. Under the ministry, there are several health service centers. Central-level hospitals usually have more than 250 beds. Some of the center-level health service centers are listed below:

•      Bir Hospital
• B.P. Koirala Memorial Cancer Hospital
• B.P. Koirala Institute of Health Sciences
• Shukra Raj Tropical and Infectious Diseases Hospital
• Kanti Children's Hospital
• Indra Rajya Laxmi Maternity Hospital
•  
• Patan Hospital
• Shahid Gangalal National Heart Center
• Mental Hospital, Patan
• Karnali Health Science Academy

Hospitals are the institutions that provide secondary-level medical treatment to sick and injured people. These are the inpatient-ranked department (IPO) and the outpatient-ranked department.
system. Patients are treated by specialists with modern technology and medicine in hospitals. In hospitals, beds are provided for the patients. Every school has outdoor and indoor departments. For departmental reasons, patients are admitted to hospitals. But in the outdoor department, patients are checked, medicines are given, and necessary counseling is given. Outdoor patients are sometimes referred to the indoor department according to the intensity of the diseases. Preventive, promotional, and rehabilitation services are provided in hospitals.
Some hospitals are classified under their names. For example, the Kanti Children's Hospital is working on child health. Maternity Hospital was established for rnat%tf care. In the same way, eye hospitals, tuberculosis hospitals, cancer hospitals, infectious disease hospitals, leprosy hospitals, and mental hospitals identify their related services by their names. Ayurveda hospitals are in our nation. They have been serving people since the very beginning. Jaundice, goiter, and gastrointestinal diseases are successfully cured with medicine. Naradevi Ayurved Hospital and Singh Durbar Vaidyakhana Ayurveda Hospitals

Regional Level

Regional-level hospitals have been established in different There are two regional hospitals: one in the western region (Pokhara) and one in the eastern region (Dharan, B.P. Koirala Institute of Health Science). The government is planning to establish one hospital in every hospital, with 150–250 beds. The functions of regions are as follows:
• Implement the policy and directions from the Ministry of Health.
• Plan, implement, and monitor health plans. Coordinate regional and district-level hospitals.
• provide health services to regional and sub-regional hospitals.
Provide laboratory service and surgical service.
• Refer patients to the central level if they need further treatment.
Zonal level
Zonal hospitals are located in different zones of the country. There are ten zonal hospitals.
Nepal.   The government has made it a policy to establish one zonal hospital in each
 
The number of beds in the zonal hospital is 50–150. The functions of zonal hospitals are listed below:
provide specialized health services.
Treat patients referred from district hospitals and refer those patients to regional and central hospitals whose treatment is not possible in zonal hospitals. Conduct different programs related to preventive and promotional health services.
Follow the rules and regulations of the central and regional health service centers.

District level

District hospitals are located in different districts of the country. There are 65 hospitals in different districts of the country. The government has made it a policy to establish one hospital in each district. A district hospital has 25–50 beds. The functions of a district hospital are listed below:

• Implement programs and policies at the central, regional, and zonal levels. Monitoring and evaluation of the district's health conditions.
• Conduct training, workshops, and seminars.
• Control the district's infectious and endemic diseases.
• Effectively conduct school health programs.
• provide general medical care with the help of district-level physicians.
• Conduct outdoor, indoor, and emergency services. Provide X-ray and laboratory services.

Electoral constituency level

There is a provision to establish primary health care centers in all the electoral districts of the country. In the past, there were 240 electoral districts in Nepal, but now there are only 165 districts in the country. In the past, there were 240 electoral districts in Nepal, but now there are only 165. Nepal has already established 208 primary health care centers in 2072 BS. Some of them are now promoted to hospitals.
The PHCC is led by a medical officer comprising one staff nurse, one health assistant, two WoAHWs, one lab assistant, two ANMs, one office assistant, and three office helpers. There must be provision for three beds. Its functions are listed below:

• Provide safe motherhood, antenatal, and postnatal services. Control and treatment of diarrhea
• Conduct regular and mobile immunization services. Conduct environmental sanitation.
• Treatment of minor accidents and ailments
• Treat the patients referred from sub-health posts and health posts.