KATHMANDU, Nov 19: The Ministry of Finance (MoF) has agreed to pay customs duty of the essential medicines languishing at the Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) for over six months.
Two containers of vital medicines, donated by several aid agencies in the aftermath of the massive earthquakes of April and May, have remained at the TIA due the negligence of the concerned authorities.
"I have personally talked with the finance minister about the customs charge of the medicines stocked at the TIA," Minister for Health and Population Ramjanam Chaudhary told Republica on Wednesday. He informed that the MoF has agreed to provide one percent tax of the medicines which stands at Rs 8.8 million.
According to Minister Chaudhary, he has directed officials of the Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP) to prepare a report of the medicines stocked at the airport. "The MoF will allocate the money only after the report is approved by a cabinet meeting," added minister Chaudhary.
Mahendra Bahadur Shrestha, chief of the Management Division of the MoHP, said that the medicines worth over Rs 1 billion have been dumped at the TIA. The MoHP had requested aid agencies for the essential drugs following the post-earthquake humanitarian crisis.
Currently, health facilities across the country are reeling under acute scarcity of medicines due to the economic blockade imposed by India on Nepal, which has exceeded over two months. The short supply of essential medicines and surgical equipment have forced major hospitals of the country, including Sahid Gangalal National Heart Center (SGNHC), to cut down on the number of surgeries they perform.
Dr Bhim Singh Tinkery, director at the Logistics Management Division (LMD) of the MoHP said that the medicines stocked at the TIA customs are likely to be released soon as the health minister has taken the issue seriously. He said that the essential medicines include drugs for cancer and other life-saving drugs. Some of the stocked medicines are close to crossing their expiry dates.
Meanwhile, the Department of Drug Administration (DDA) said that it has formed a rapid assessment team in coordination with the World Health Organization's country office to access the overall stock of drugs in the country amid the ongoing crisis. Officials at the DDA informed that the team has been tasked to submit a report as soon as possible.
Published on: My Republica (November 19, 2015)
