Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Professor Biman Prasad has revealed that many people choose private General Practitioners over public health centers, increasing government healthcare costs post-pandemic.
Prasad stated that there are no plans to expand the dental care program under the Public-Private Partnership Healthcare Scheme in the new fiscal year.
The dental care program was initially introduced as a COVID-19 measure to alleviate strain on hospital services.
However, the government discovered that the expansion led to increasing demand.
In the last budget, the government conducted a means test for the scheme and encouraged people to use public health centers when possible.
The Finance Minister acknowledged that future expansion could be considered but emphasized the need for a thorough assessment.
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