Kathmandu, July 16: Minister for Health and Population, Pradeep Paudel, has emphasized the need to fix charges for dengue tests. Speaking at the announcement program of “Shrawan Dengue Awareness Month” on Wednesday, he said efforts should be made to provide dengue testing for free, and if that isn’t possible, a fixed and reasonable charge must be determined.

He warned against exploiting poor and underprivileged people in the name of medical testing. Acknowledging that the government has fallen short in its efforts to tackle dengue, he said the disease has now affected the entire society and escalated beyond a manageable problem

Minister Paudel stated, “We have not been able to feel the seriousness of the issue as we should. It is important to raise awareness in society about the complexity and challenges dengue brings. Thinking ‘I am safe’ is meaningless—when one family member falls ill, it brings discomfort to the entire household. The reality is that everyone in society is affected, and cases are rising every year. Testing fees must be standardized. If a person is poor and already struggling, should we exploit them further? There needs to be a fixed fee for dengue testing, even in private institutions. If we can provide it free, we should try to do so. In remote areas, people are already dealing with food insecurity—how can they cope when the burden of health complications is added on top of that?”

Minister Paudel further stated that the government is preparing to launch awareness campaigns in collaboration with the media.

People’s News Monitoring Service