21st September 2025, Kathmandu
Dr. Jagat Bika, a 27-year-old from Kailali, has been proposed as the next Health Minister by the families of those who died during the Janajati movement on Bhadra 23 and 24.
Dr. Jagat Bika Health Minister
His nomination is a powerful statement against political cronyism, representing a demand for a young, capable, and politically unattached leader to reform the nation’s struggling health system.
A People’s Nominee for Health Minister
According to Dr. Bika, his nomination comes directly from the martyrs’ families, who feel ignored by the government. Their choice reflects a desire for a representative who understands the struggles of ordinary Nepalese citizens and can advocate for their needs from within the government. This move highlights a deep-seated frustration with a system that often prioritizes political connections over genuine public service.
Exposing Deep-Rooted Problems
Dr. Bika’s diagnosis of the health sector is stark and revealing. He points to systemic issues that deny equitable access to care, such as:
Elitism in Access to Care: While politically connected individuals can get surgical procedures in minutes, ordinary patients at hospitals like Bir Hospital face agonizing waits of 3–6 months, or even a year.
Corruption and Nepotism: Dr. Bika highlighted widespread corruption, from medical education—where only the children of the wealthy can afford private medical colleges—to daily hospital operations. He questions the fairness of a system that blocks poor children from achieving their dream of becoming a doctor or nurse.
Dr. Jagat Bika’s Comprehensive Reform Agenda
If appointed, Dr. Jagat Bika has outlined a detailed and ambitious plan to transform Nepal’s health sector. His key agendas focus on transparency, accountability, and accessibility.
- Inclusive and Fair Health System: His central pledge is to make health services a right for all citizens, not a privilege for the few. He aims to shift the focus from leaders’ influence to patients’ needs.
- Health Insurance and Digital Reforms: He plans to overhaul the current health insurance system, which he claims is misused by hospital owners through fraudulent documentation. To combat this, he proposes a nationwide digital health system and a “Smart Health Card,” which would store a patient’s complete medical history, prescriptions, and test results, ensuring transparency and reducing fraud.
- Accountability for Doctors and Staff: Dr. Bika’s plan includes holding health professionals accountable for their actions. He proposes strict penalties, including license revocation for repeated offenses like the unnecessary prescription of antibiotics. Performance-based promotions and salary increments, evaluated through report cards on quality, responsibility, and patient feedback, are also on his agenda.
- Improving Public Hospital Services: To alleviate the burden on public health facilities, he plans to extend OPD hours in government hospitals from 6 AM to 8 PM. He also intends to mandate the presence of at least five specialists in every district hospital, including MDGP, Gynecologists, Pediatricians, Anesthesiologists, and Surgeons, to curb the flow of patients to Kathmandu for specialized treatment.
- Fighting Corruption and Political Interference: A dedicated Anti-Corruption Monitoring Unit will be established to review hospital performance every 15 days. Dr. Bika also vows to end political interference in staff appointments and transfers, making them merit-based. He will prohibit doctors from diverting patients from public to private facilities.
- Regulation of Pharmacies and Procurement: To prevent malpractice, he will introduce a “one license per pharmacy” rule. All equipment procurement will be digital and limited to WHO-certified devices, ensuring quality and transparency.
- Advancing Medical Education: He emphasizes the need for mandatory research in teaching hospitals and plans to introduce new technologies like robotic surgery and international training opportunities for qualified professionals.
A Vision for Change
Dr. Jagat Bika’s vision is a people-centered health system built on transparency, accountability, accessibility, and quality. He has vowed to end negligence, stop irregularities, and free government hospitals from political influence.
His message is clear: “The government belongs to everyone, and so should the health services. Today’s generation demands change, and I am ready to be part of that change.”
For more: Dr. Jagat Bika Health Minister