KATHMANDU: Prime Minister (PM) Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ has directed the Patan Academy of Health Sciences for managing the challenges emerged in the health sector.

Addressing the 12th Assembly of PAHS here today, he urged the office-bearers of the Academy for developing additional infrastructures and making the hospital’s services of quality and effective.

The PM said development and prosperity is not possible until the common citizen is healthy, stressing on the need of making quality and accessible health services accessible to all citizens.

“The country’s economic and social transformation is possible when the citizens are fit and healthy,” he said.

Stating that it is the best initiative on the part of the Academy to provide community-based services, the Prime Minister, who is also the Chancellor of PAHS, suggested that the Academy should further make its programs stronger by incorporating similar programs.

He said, “I want to draw the attention of the Ministry of Health and Population to forward such type of programs from other academics and educational institutions.”

Stating that most of Nepal’s territory is occupied by rural areas, PM Dahal pointed out the need of expanding health service access to rural level by producing skilled health worker motivated by the spirit of social responsibility in order to provide quality healthcare service in rural areas.

He explained, “I direct the Academy to improve its services so as to benefit significantly the citizens who are lagging behind in the human development index and have less access to quality health services.”

Prime Minister Dahal lauded the contribution of Patan Academy of Health Sciences in overall health sector including health service, health education and carrying out health related scientific research.