KATHMANDU, July 13: The Ministry of Health and Population should claim all money collected in taxes from tobacco products, according to Health Minister Mohan Bahadur Basnet. So, the ministry should get around Rs 6 billion raised by levying taxes on tobacco products, said Minister Basnet, while responding to the queries raised in today's meeting of the National Assembly on various headings under the Appropriation Bill, 2080 BS.
The ministry received only Rs 4 billion collected as taxes from tobacco products, he said.
The amount received in taxes could be used on adding quotas of doctors and health workers, he opined.
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He stressed the need for managing physical infrastructures and human resources to expand health services. The appointment of employees rampantly has created problems, he said.
He also pledged to strictly implement the seven-point direction relating to the management of doctors and health workers.
On making arrangements to provide healthcare to VVIPs at home, the minister said preparations were underway to create a group of specialist doctors.
"A group of specialist doctors will be formed in all seven provinces and at the federal level. This group will first attend to the VVIPs who will be allowed to go abroad for medical treatment only on the recommendation of this group of specialist doctors," he said.
There is a need to make new policies to address the poor production of nurses, paramedics and doctors due to the National Medical Education Bill, he stressed. He also informed the House about the implementation of the free 10 percent hospital beds allocation at the federal level.
(RSS)
