KATHMANDU: The government has decided to strictly enforce a policy requiring both public and private hospitals to allocate 10 percent of their total beds free of cost for patients in need.

The decision was made during a Cabinet meeting held on Friday, mandating that these free beds be reserved for the poor, helpless, and abandoned patients to ensure greater access to healthcare services.

To improve transparency and monitoring, the government will develop a “Free Health Portal” within 30 days. The system will enable real-time tracking of free service availability, beneficiary details, and service utilization across the country.

In addition, a comprehensive digital health information system will be introduced within three months. This system will integrate patient records, medical history, follow-ups, and service data into a unified digital platform.

Hospitals will also implement digital systems within 90 days to display real-time information on medicine stock and pricing in hospital pharmacies. The government further announced the expansion of affordable pharmacy services in public hospitals.

As part of broader healthcare improvements, the government will begin establishing burn wards in most hospitals within 30 days and ensure subsidized treatment for burn victims.

Moreover, to strengthen emergency response capabilities, air ambulances will be kept on standby in Sudurpashchim, mid-western, and eastern hill regions to provide rapid medical assistance in critical situations.