Himal Press 
ITAHARI: The Koshi Province Government launched a program on Sunday to provide free treatment to children below 10 years of age in the province.
The Ministry of Health, Koshi Province, signed separate agreements with the provincial hospital and four private hospitals on Sunday to implement the program.
As per the agreement, the Koshi Provincial Hospital and four private hospitals – Hamro Hospital, Birat Teaching Hospital, Nobel Teaching Hospital, and Kathmandu Institute of Child Health, Damak – will provide free treatment to children below 10 years in the province.
Provincial Health Secretary Dr. Sudha Devkota, Dr. Rajesh Nepal of Nobel Hospital, and Dr. Bhagwan Koirala of Kathmandu Institute of Child Health, among others, signed the agreement in the presence of Chief Minister Kedar Karki.
Speaking on the occasion, Chief Minister Karki said the days when parents were forced to seek loans after admitting their children to the hospital would come to an end in Koshi Province from Sunday. “I request chiefs of hospitals to provide treatment to all children as their own and not let any child die due to lack of treatment,” he added.
Stating that the private hospitals are also under the province, Karki said the provincial government would help the hospitals repair equipment needed for the treatment of children in case they break down.
The mortality rate among children below five years in Koshi Province is 34 per 1,000 deaths, according to the provincial health ministry.
