Nepal Health News, Kathmandu – The Ministry of Health and Population has introduced a new policy titled ‘Alternative Treatment Area’ to make the delivery of health services more effective and better organized during disasters or public health emergencies. To implement this policy, Health and Population Minister Pradeep Paudel has approved the Alternative Treatment Area Guideline, 2082 for emergency situations.
While approving the guideline, Minister Paudel stated that the main goal of this initiative is to ensure that health services are not disrupted under any circumstances during disasters. He emphasized that hospitals must include plans for alternative treatment areas in their disaster preparedness strategies so that even if the hospital itself is at risk, citizens are not deprived of healthcare. According to him, this provision will enable continued service delivery during challenging times and help strengthen and secure the national health system over time.
Alternative Treatment within Service Areas
From now on, every hospital must identify suitable locations within its service area (such as open fields, schools, community buildings, or party palaces) for establishing alternative treatment areas as part of their disaster preparedness plan. Pre-agreements or Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) can be made between the concerned health institution and local governments or private organizations to use these spaces in times of need.
The guideline also outlines clear criteria on when and how to activate these alternative treatment areas. If a hospital’s infrastructure is fully or partially damaged and cannot deliver services, such areas will be activated through the Incident Command System (ICS). Once services can resume in the hospital’s main building or after three months of establishment, these temporary centers will be systematically deactivated.
To reduce chaos during disasters, the overall management and operation of alternative treatment areas will also be conducted through the Incident Command System (ICS). According to Ministry spokesperson Dr. Prakash Budhathoki, "ICS is an internationally recognized system that helps mobilize available resources and manpower effectively and allows quick and efficient decision-making during disasters."
Dr. Budhathoki further mentioned that this guideline would play a crucial role in making emergency health services more organized and effective. “In the past, during the 2015 earthquake and the COVID-19 pandemic, when hospitals themselves were damaged or overwhelmed, it became extremely challenging and uncertain to deliver treatment services,” he said.
“In such situations, providing medical services becomes very difficult. Therefore, this guideline aims to make hospitals more accountable for disaster preparedness and ensure every citizen's right to access healthcare in any situation,” he added.
With the approval of this guideline, the Ministry believes that disaster response in Nepal’s health sector will become more structured, enhance the effectiveness of the health system, and help reduce potential damages during future crises.
