The government has decided to form a high-level taskforce for restructuring the health sector in the federal set-up.

The panel will produce a vision paper that details the status of the health sector in federal Nepal.

Health Minister Gagan Thapa said the 11-member committee would have Dr Padam Bahadur Chand, chief specialist at the ministry, as the member secretary. “We want to view the health sector through a multi-sectoral lens as many other issues are interlinked with health,” said Thapa. “Members from various sectors will draft the vision paper in six months.”

The taskforce would begin its work after Dashain. Officials at the Health Ministry said they have done some homework for the restructuring. Some documents prepared in the

process say the centre will function as the policy-making body and as the agency for international cooperation in the sector. The centre would also guarantee constitutional health rights.

The papers propose several health councils at the centre with their branches based in the provinces. At the provincial level, the health offices will function as the programme management units. The local units would be responsible for service delivery and implementation of the constitutional rights.

“In the next six months, we will have a clear picture of health service delivery in the three-tier system—central, provincial and local,” said the minister.

Although there are disputes in the number and boundaries of the provinces, the government has formed commissions to prepare a framework for devolution of power.