98 essential medicines unavailable despite budget, citizens pay out-of-pocket
Summary
Despite government budgets, 98 essential medicines remain unavailable at public health facilities in Nepal, forcing citizens to buy them privately and bear financial burdens.
Key Points
- The government of Nepal allocates budget for 98 types of essential medicines to be provided free of cost at public health institutions, but most are unavailable.
- Patients with chronic diseases like hypertension and diabetes are forced to purchase medicines from private pharmacies due to unavailability at government facilities.
- The Standard Treatment Protocol mandates free medicine availability in 6,743 wards, but the implementation and monitoring have been ineffective due to budget and coordination issues.
- High out-of-pocket health expenses in Nepal push over half a million citizens below the poverty line annually, exacerbated by inconsistent provision of free medicines.
