June 6, 2002

Kathmandu: Health Minister of Maldives and chairman of the World Health Organisation (WHO) South East Asia Regional Office (SEARO) Ahmed Abdullah paid a courtesy call on Minister for Health Sharat Singh Bhandari at the Ministry of Health, today.

Abdullah who is on a visit to member nations with an objective of informing them about SEARO arrived today on a two-day visit to Nepal along with a three-member delegation.

The delegation includes deputy director general of the SEARO Ibrahim Saleem, and personal secretary of the Health Minister Mrs. Ameena Abdullah Hakeem.

On the occasion, departmental heads of the ministry informed the visiting delegation about Nepal’s health programmes and strategy.

Minister Abdullah expressed satisfaction over the increasing cooperation in the health sector between Maldives and Nepal and added that Maldivian students undertaking medical studies in Nepal have further strengthened the cooperation.

Health Minister Bhandari on the occasion said Nepal and Maldives need to work together on similar diseases and cooperation should be extended to students, curative measures against disease and awareness programmes.

Health secretary Mahendra Nath Aryal and director general of the Department of Health Services Dr. Laxmi Raj Pathak spoke about the state of Nepal’s public health.

Present on the occasion were Minister of State Mohan Bahadur Basnet, health experts, departmental heads of the Ministry and information chiefs and advisors to the ministry.