KATHMANDU: The government has appointed senior physician and medical educationist Jagdish Prasad Agrawal as the Honorary Health Adviser to Prime Minister Balendra Shah.

A Cabinet meeting held yesterday took the decision to appoint Dr. Agrawal to the post. A former Dean of the Institute of Medicine (IOM), Tribhuvan University, Agrawal will advise the Prime Minister on national health policy, public health challenges, and reforms in medical education.

Issuing a statement on the appointment, the Prime Minister’s press and research advisor Deepa Dahal said the inclusion of an experienced health expert like Agrawal is expected to provide important technical support and policy guidance to the Prime Minister in strengthening the country’s health system.

She added that Dr. Agrawal, who has previously led a prestigious institution like IOM, will contribute his expertise and time to the state in an honorary capacity.

The appointment is seen as significant as Prime Minister Shah has placed public health among the key priorities of his tenure. Agrawal will serve without any salary or financial benefits, offering only his professional expertise to the government.