Nepal, April 21 -- Nepal's healthcare system has long been under pressure, with overcrowded outpatient departments and overburdened medical staff. Long queues at the state-owned hospitals are a daily reality. Poor patients have no other option but to wait for years to get their surgeries done. Those travelling from far-flung areas to the federal capital for check-ups are doubly burdened as they have to foot medical bills as well as cover accommodation costs.

When Balendra Shah took the oath of office following the March 5 elections, calls for healthcare sector reform heightened. In its 100-point Governance Reform Agenda, the new government included a 'six-point health sector reform' plan. This was a welcome move. But soon after the gover...