Kathmandu, Oct. 27 -- Last month, the Medical Oncology Department at BP Koirala Memorial Cancer Hospital in Chitwan prohibited doctors from prescribing food and dietary supplements to patients. Doctors serving at the department said such supplements neither cure ailments nor improve health conditions.

"Regular healthy diet can provide all necessary vitamins, minerals and other nutrients our body needs," said Dr Jaya Shrestha, chief of the Medical Oncology Department at the hospital. "Food and dietary supplements are unnecessary and costly and they can sometimes involve health risks."

Even though the Department of Drug Administration, the drug regulatory body, has banned the import and sale of such dietary supplements, doctors have been ...