Nepal, a deficient nation suffering with a large number of demanding situations, together with poverty, insufficient healthcare amenities, and loss of get entry to to high quality scientific remedy for its voters, has been making headlines for all of the unsuitable causes. News stories of high-profile politicians receiving pricey scientific remedy out of the country, funded via the state coffers, stay showing within the Nepali media. However, all the procedure steadily presentations a loss of transparency and responsibility. The newest instance is President Ram Chandra Paudel, who was once on Wednesday flown to New Delhi in an air ambulance for “advanced treatment of chest and abdominal problems” at a premier govt medical institution there. This comes after he had already spent 5 days in a medical institution in Kathmandu for a similar factor. While it isn’t unusual for Nepali politicians to hunt scientific remedy out of the country, the loss of transparency surrounding the method is regarding.
In the case of President Paudel, it is reported that the Nepali state coffers will endure the bills, that are anticipated to be in tens of millions of rupees. While it is said that the rustic’s head of state will have to obtain essential scientific remedy, even out of the country if wanted, the loss of transparency round politicians’ scientific remedy out of the country and the apply of the use of state budget for such bills is questionable. That will have to be why, again in Kathmandu, many of us mentioned this sickness of President Paudel is a prolonged one and that he have been present process remedy for it inside the nation for a very long time and that the desire for ‘a thorough check-up, treatment by expert doctors at a better facility’ arose best after he turned into the rustic’s head of state. The nation’s presidency indisputably comes with top class perks and advantages! Or this would merely be the start of the rustic paying the associated fee for electing an ill septuagenarian to the post of head of state.
President Paudel’s case isn’t an remoted one. Only ultimate yr, the federal government doled out Rs 9 million for the remedy of Jhalanath Khanal, a senior chief of CPN (Unified Socialist) and previous high minister, breaching current provisions that limit offering bills for remedy out of the country. Furthermore, former PM KP Sharma Oli is some other ‘lucky’ baby-kisser for whose remedy tens of millions were spent from the state coffers in addition to undisclosed assets. Only a couple of years in the past, Oli underwent a scientific check-up in Singapore, referred to as the costliest town on this planet, accompanied via his spouse, private physician, leader consultant, private secretary, safety body of workers, and a protocol officer from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The bills for his complete entourage, together with the price of a cabin on the medical institution, had been exorbitant. But the folk had been by no means advised who had borne the bills – whether or not it was once the taxpayers’ cash or exterior assets.
Another notable instance of the loss of transparency in sponsoring high-profile politicians’ out of the country journeys is the present high minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal himself. A couple of years in the past, Dahal, accompanied via his circle of relatives, had a weeklong ‘refreshment trip’ to Dubai. While there, Dahal and his circle of relatives stayed on the luxurious Atlantis lodge in Dubai, the place even fundamental rooms value over Rs 50,000 in line with evening. It was once by no means disclosed who had backed the travel and the way the prefer was once returned later. Additionally, Dahal’s discuss with to the United States a couple of years in the past raised questions on who had paid for the travel and his spouse’s remedy there.
The loss of transparency in all the means of high-profile politicians’ scientific remedy out of the country or international junkets is not just regarding but in addition has severe implications for Nepal as a rustic. First and essential, it raises questions on the correct usage of state budget. When tens of millions of rupees are doled out from the state coffers for scientific remedy of high-profile politicians, it diverts valuable assets that may have been used to support the rustic’s healthcare infrastructure, supply higher scientific amenities to strange voters, and cope with different urgent problems similar to poverty, training, and fundamental facilities.
Also, it’s value wondering the assets of investment for those remedies. In some circumstances, wealthy businessmen or international powers could also be sponsoring the scientific bills of politicians. This provides upward push to considerations about possible conflicts of pastime and compromises on nationwide sovereignty. If remedy prices of high-profile politicians are being borne via businessmen or international powers, what may well be the effects for the rustic?
It indisputably raises questions in regards to the affect and keep an eye on that those businessmen or international powers would possibly exert over those politicians. Won’t those politicians really feel indebted to their sponsors and compromise the pursuits of the rustic in prefer in their benefactors? Also, this would result in compromised decision-making, compromised nationwide insurance policies, and erosion of public consider within the present political gadget.
It additionally highlights the stark disparity between the healthcare amenities to be had to the high-profile politicians and the strange voters of Nepal. While politicians are flown out of the country for remedy in premier hospitals or pricey international amenities, nearly all of the inhabitants in Nepal struggles to get entry to fundamental healthcare products and services because of insufficient infrastructure, loss of assets, and poverty. This raises questions of social justice and fairness, the place the privileged few in energy obtain preferential remedy on the expense of most people.
Clearly, we, as a country, proceed to set examples of unfair remedy!