Kathmandu: Senior leader of ruling Communist Party of Nepal (CPN) Madhav Kumar Nepal has demanded that the government withdraw its decision to not provide free treatment to all infected with COVID-19.
During a pandemic, the state must provide free treatment to all its citizens. Even the regulation related to infectious disease gives the government the responsibility to provide the treatment, hence the government cannot shy away from its duty during a time of crisis, he said.
It may be noted that the government has decided to provide free treatment to only the poor, helpless, single women, severely disabled, senior citizens and frontline workers.
In response, the former Prime Minister issued a statement today stating that such decision was not right at a time when the state should be with the people as their guardian.
Similar views have been voiced by prominent civil society members. Prominent writer, researcher and former advisor to late Girija Prasad Koirala, Mr Hari Sharma said that the government abdicates its moral and constitutional obligation at times of pandemic. He tweets:
NC demands free testing and treatment of coronavirus
The major opposition Nepali Congress has said government must not run away from the responsibility of testing and treating COVID-19.
The NC reminded constitutional and legal provisions and election manifestos.
Issuing a press release on Tuesday, the central organization department of the party further said the Constitution had provided right to health as fundamental rights; Public Health Act mentions that people will have free treatment to the communicable disease; and the Supreme Court has asked the government to ensure citizen’s fundamental rights to health.
The department expressed concern over government forcing citizens to conduct test and treatment of COVID-19 on their own.
It is government’s responsibility to save people’s life by arranging everything necessary like quarantine, isolation, ICU, ventilators and medicine, the NC stressed.
