Kathmandu. Former Deputy Prime Minister and Health Minister Upendra Yadav, speaking at a program organized by the Non-Resident Nepali Association (NRNA) on the occasion of the Second World Knowledge Conference, asserted that the state should play a coordinating role of federal, provincial and local governments to provide quality health services to the people.

Speaking on the topic of ‘Public Health and Pandemic Mitigation’, he stated that quality health services could be provided by cooperating with international bodies including NRNA as the trend of corruption in the health sector by buying substandard materials was on the rise.

He also talked about good health to be a basic human right. However, he noted that in developing countries like Nepal, citizens were deprived of their fundamental rights. “Primary health care is free for all citizens, but there is no medicine in government hospitals where people are forced to pay exorbitant fees for treatment,” he added.

He mentioned that even during the coronavirus pandemic, the economically disabled citizens were deprived of the necessary health facilities. He expressed concern that the situation would go beyond Nepal’s capacity as this pandemic was taking a complex turn. ” Open borders, lack of awareness, and various reasons have led to the rapid spread of coronavirus in Nepal,” he said, adding that “the state needs to take action without any negligence to prevent it.”