Health posts in big factories soon

KATHMNDU, March 23: The government has decided to set up health posts in factories that employ more than 500 workers to provide them at least minimum health facilities.

"The government has to be responsible toward people working in various factories," chief of the Family Health Revitalization Division (FHRD) at the Ministry of Population and Health Dr Bhim Singh Tinkari said.


Dr Tinkari said the MOPH has found out that workers in factories do not get even the basic health facilities. "They are working in dangerous condition," he said.

MoPH has already asked FHRD to submit the list of factories that employ more than 500 workers. "We have already identified 19 such factories to set up the health posts in the first phase," he said. Both private and semi-governmental industries will be included in the list.

The MOPH will provide a health assistant, an assistant health worker (AHW), an auxiliary nurse mid-wife (ANM), a vaccinator and a peon to each health post. FHRD revealed that some factories employ around 3,500 employees.

"We have found them working in appalling health conditions as the companies that employ them have not set up health facilities despite our repeated requests," administrator of the FHRD Achyut Lamichhane said.

Administrator Lamichhane claimed many workers injured while at work die on the way to hospital due to lack of primary health care services at the factories. "The employees will get all the services and medicines free of cost at the health posts," Lamichhane said.

The Ministry of Finance has allocated Rs 10 million for the purpose in the budget of the current fiscal year. The government had also announced different facilities at industries that provide direct employment to more than 100 workers in the budget.

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