Kathmandu, July 22
The government has already released Rs 3 million for the medical treatment of CPN-UML leader Jhala Nath Khanal although funding some individual’s treatment in a foreign land is illegal, it has been learned.
Khanal is currently at the Apollo Hospital in New Delhi of India after both of his kidneys experienced serious problems. Party sources say he is preparing for a kidney transplant there.
As per a decision of the KP Sharma Oli-led government, the Nepali Embassy in New Delhi released the payment and it has submitted a bill of that to the Ministry of Finance via the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, a source in the Finance Ministry says.
Many have questioned the legitimacy of the Oli government’s decision as the Public Health Act, 2018, has a provision, “Notwithstanding anything contained in the prevailing law if any person is to be treated in a foreign country, the expenses to be spent on this shall not be made available by the Government of Nepal.”
Nonetheless, Oli’s successor Sher Bahadur Deuba has also expressed his commitment to supporting Khanal’s treatment on behalf of the government.
