KATHMANDU: The Ministry of Health and Food Safety has approved the Standard Related to Management of High-altitude Mountain Sickness, 2026.
The standard was approved to make diagnosis, prevention, treatment and management of high-altitude mountain sickness systematic and effective.
The main objective of the standard is to identify the problem of high altitude sickness among tourists, trekkers, mountaineers travelling in mountainous region and locals on time and ensure appropriate treatment.
Similarly, it would also provide guidance for enhancing treatment capacity of health institutions specially located at high-hilly and mountainous regions, ensuring the availability of essentials medicines and equipment and making the emergency rescue and referral system systematic.
If the problem of high altitude sickness is not diagnosed and treated on time, it can lead to serious health complications like pulmonary edema, cerebral edema might occur posing a risk that could even be fatal.
The standard has given priority to measures including gradually increasing altitude, allocating sufficient time for acclimatization, consuming sufficient amount of liquid to prevent the high-altitude sickness.
The list of medicines and equipment required for identification, treatment and management of high-altitude sickness have been included in the standard. It also defined the responsibilities of federation, province and local-level.
The federal government would manage policy, guideline, human resources and budget and their monitoring while province government would help in capacity development of health workers and technology.
Similarly, the local-level would make arrangement for the access of health service, management of essential medicines and technology as well as ensure patient referral system.
