Kathmandu, July 18: The Ministry of Health and Food Hygiene has initiated preparations to produce 36 types of essential medicines through Nepal Drugs Limited within the next two years, with the objective of strengthening domestic pharmaceutical production.
According to the ministry, the process of signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Nepal Drugs Limited has been set in motion to implement the plan. At present, the state-owned company manufactures 11 types of essential medicines.
In the next phase, the ministry plans to expand production to include medicines for chronic diseases such as hypertension and diabetes. To achieve this, research and development, quality testing, regulatory approvals, and technical preparations will be accelerated.
The ministry has also stated that it will allocate the necessary budget for the effective implementation of the programme and adopt a policy of giving priority to domestically produced medicines in the supply of essential drugs to government health institutions.
Once the MoU comes into effect, procurement of medicines required by government health facilities will be carried out through a streamlined, regular, and institutional mechanism between the ministry and Nepal Drugs Limited. The ministry expects this arrangement to make the public procurement process more efficient while ensuring the use of medicines produced by the company and expanding their market.
The ministry further said that all medicines manufactured by Nepal Drugs Limited will meet both national and international quality standards. According to the ministry, the initiative is expected to promote the domestic pharmaceutical industry, enhance the country’s self-reliance in medicines, reduce dependence on imports, and ensure the regular availability of quality and affordable essential medicines for citizens, thereby advancing the government’s long-term healthcare objectives.
People’s News Monitoring Service.
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