KATHMANDU: Health and Food Safety Minister Nisha Mehta on Monday said the government is committed to effectively implementing the constitutional right to health, announcing a Rs 96.377 billion allocation for the health sector in the 2026/27 fiscal year.

Responding to lawmakers during discussion on the Appropriation Bill, 2026 in the National Assembly, Mehta said the government will gradually increase health spending in line with the National Health Financing Strategy. She said basic hospitals have been completed in 109 local units, with 336 more under construction, while more than Rs 23 billion has already been paid under the national health insurance program.

The minister also said the government is promoting domestic production of free essential medicines, enforcing the provision requiring private hospitals to reserve 10 percent of beds for free treatment, and making electronic attendance mandatory in all federal hospitals to improve service delivery and accountability.