After Self-Immolation Cases, PM Balen Pushes Nationwide Burn Care Expansion

Prime Minister Balendra Shah (Balen) has directed health authorities to immediately begin establishing well-equipped burn treatment centers in all seven provinces to strengthen Nepal's emergency healthcare system. During a meeting with the vice chancellors of various health science institutions, he stressed the need to expand specialized burn care services and improve access to quality healthcare across the country. He also instructed private hospitals to strictly implement the policy of providing at least 10 percent of outpatient department (OPD) services free of charge or at discounted rates for economically disadvantaged citizens. The Prime Minister further emphasized clean management, good governance, and greater use of digital technology in the health sector. He also ordered authorities to take strict legal action against individuals involved in illegally encroaching on land belonging to government-run medical institutions. The directives come in the wake of a series of recent self-immolation incidents in Nepal, including the death of 25-year-old Ganesh Nepali of Mugu, who succumbed to burn injuries while undergoing treatment at Bir Hospital in Kathmandu, highlighting the urgent need to strengthen the country's burn treatment infrastructure.