Balen Shah’s government at 100 days: Nepal’s health system between digital reform and overcrowded hospitals
Summary
Nepal's government has implemented digital and administrative reforms in its health system during its first 100 days, focusing on improving patient record digitisation, hospital management, and accessibility, while challenges in overcrowded hospitals and specialist shortages remain.
Key Points
- Nepal's government has focused on digitisation and governance reforms in healthcare rather than new infrastructure during its first 100 days.
- A digital portal mandates hospitals to reserve 10% of beds for vulnerable patients with free treatment and enables monitoring of hospital capacity and blood availability.
- Incremental improvements include online appointments, electronic billing, and expanded specialised care beyond Kathmandu.
- Challenges remain in overloaded public hospitals, uneven access to specialists, financial issues in health insurance, and shortages of healthcare professionals outside urban areas.
