Ministry of Health’s circular mandates compulsory availability of items used for transplantation in government pharmacies to prevent fraud

Nepal Health News Kathmandu: The Ministry of Health and Population has issued a circular to ensure the provision of items used for transplantation and treatment of heart, bone, and various other patients within the hospital pharmacy.

Currently, these items are not available in government pharmacies, and since their price details are not disclosed, patients have to buy them at expensive rates. After complaints arose that private vendors were selling these items at high prices inside hospitals due to their unavailability in hospital pharmacies, Health and Population Minister Pradeep Paudel instructed that such items required after surgery should be arranged in the hospital pharmacy starting from the new fiscal year.

Accordingly, through a secretariat-level decision, the ministry has issued a circular stating that from now on, the prices of all items visible to patients will be publicly displayed, and the items will be made available in the hospital pharmacy, said the ministry spokesperson Dr. Prakash Budhathoki.

Additionally, to prevent sellers from charging excessive prices, all hospitals have been instructed to arrange so that if a new type of item is needed for transplantation, surgery, or treatment during the fiscal year, patients will receive them only after the company, authorized sellers, and prices are made public.

The ministry has also cautioned hospitals through letters to prevent any environment that would lead to complaints from patients.