A total of 3,723 schools, including primary (1197), lower secondary (1852) and secondary (674), were added this fiscal year, according to the Economic Survey.

The enrolment rate in primary schools has gone up to 95.1 percent from last year’s 94.5 percent, while the rate in lower secondary schools reached 86.6 percent from 86 percent last year. In the secondary level education, the rate rose to 30.6 percent from last year’s 27.1 percent.

The government handed over 507 government schools to communities this year. With this, the number of schools handed over to communities has so far reached 12,475. A total of 1,106 children of conflict victims and disabled people were provided scholarships, according to the survey.

Although some hospitals, health posts and sub-health posts were added this year, the number of health institutions providing facilities has remained the same as last year’s. A total of 4,393 health institutions — exactly the same number of last fiscal year — are providing health facilities as of the first eight months of this fiscal year.

The number of hospitals grew by three, health posts by 477 and sub-health posts by 497, but the decrease in the number of other types of health institutes neutralised the growth.

The number of medical colleges registered at Nepal Medical Council reached 21 — up from last year’s 20, according to survey.

The survey showed 466 hospital beds were added in the eight months. The number of employees in the health sector grew by 9,156 over the last year and the number of specialists registered at NMC reached 2,372 — up from last year’s 2,000.

The survey has also showed achievements made in millennium development goals in the health sector, with the infant mortality rate declining to nine per thousand from 43 in 1996. The maternal mortality rate has also declined to 229 per 100,000 from 539 over the period, according the survey.

source: The Kathmandu Post,15 July 2012