Health Minister Mehta Outlines Key Priorities for Health Sector Reform
News Summary
Editorially reviewed.
- Health Minister Nisha Mehta, leading the Ministry of Health, emphasizes ensuring easy access to medical services for the general public as her primary focus.
- Minister Mehta highlights the need to prevent the brain drain of health workers abroad and create motivating conditions for them to work within the country.
- She plans to intensify focus on disease prevention and improve hospital procurement processes, while securing adequate budgets for maintenance.
March 26, Kathmandu – Newly appointed ministers often announce their priorities on their first day in office. This tradition is especially strong in the Ministry of Health, where new leadership typically outlines fresh goals. However, the current minister Nisha Mehta has broken with this tradition.
During a brief introductory event within the ministry, Minister Mehta shared that she comes from a nursing background and that her main objective is to ensure easy access to health services for the public.
“My goal is to make medical treatment easily accessible to people,” she said. “No one should lose their life due to lack of treatment.”
Drawing on her experience in the health sector, she also shared her core priorities.
Minister Mehta identified the brain drain of healthcare professionals as a major challenge. She stressed the importance of creating an encouraging environment where doctors, nurses, and paramedics are motivated to work in the country.
“Many doctors, nurses, and other health workers are currently planning to go abroad. They are not sufficiently encouraged here,” the minister said. “We must create an environment where healthcare workers can thrive within our country.”
She pointed out that many nurses have pursued advanced specialties but still have not been given suitable opportunities.
“Many nurses have completed master’s degrees or various specialized trainings but have not received appropriate opportunities,” Mehta stated. “Likewise, doctors also face job satisfaction and salary-related issues.”
The minister believes that only satisfied health workers can deliver high-quality services.
“Providing quality services to the public is our priority, but for that, ensuring the satisfaction of healthcare workers is essential,” she said.
Acknowledging the complexity of the health sector, Minister Mehta indicated that she would study the ministry’s operations, challenges, and priorities thoroughly before making decisions.
“The health sector is vast and diverse,” she said. “There is still much to understand. I will make decisions only after comprehensive study.”
Highlighting the rise of non-communicable diseases, Mehta stressed the need to focus more on disease prevention.
“Disease prevention must be the foremost priority in health,” she said. “I will concentrate my efforts in that direction.”
She also pledged to improve procurement processes within hospitals and health institutions.
Mehta explained that while Nepal prioritizes purchasing new medical equipment, there is insufficient budget for maintenance, which creates difficulties.
“We prioritize buying new equipment, but there isn’t a budget for maintenance. Proper maintenance can keep many machines operational. I will also focus on maintenance,” the minister concluded.