KATHMANDU: The Nepal Medical Association (NMA) has presented recommendations to Health and Population Minister Dr. Sudha Sharma Gautam aimed at strengthening the country’s health system.

NMA officials, led by President Dr. Anil Karki, met the minister on Friday to convey their best wishes for her tenure and provide various suggestions.

The recommendations focused on strengthening primary healthcare, making the National Health Insurance Program more effective, and clarifying monitoring and accountability mechanisms across federal, provincial, and local levels.

The NMA emphasized involving doctors, health workers, and the public to address key challenges in the health system.

In a post-meeting statement, the association highlighted shortages of doctors, medicines, testing facilities, and professional capacity at primary health centers and noted issues related to human resources and deployment.

The NMA called for equal pay for doctors and health workers performing the same work, improvement of basic structures such as the network of female health volunteers, local government mechanisms, and legal frameworks.

The association stressed the need for clear responsibilities, infrastructure, human resources, financial flows, and quality assurance, urging coordinated action to implement these reforms.