KATHMANDU: National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has asked the government not to elude from its responsibility of ensuring constitutional rights of the citizens.

Citing that the government’s decision not to continue free test and treatment of the coronavirus patients, the human rights watch body of the country has reminded the government to stick to its duties and responsibilities and ensure no constitutional rights are defied by its decision.

“In this critical hour when the whole world is combating against COVID-19 pandemic, NHRC urges the government to arrange for the free treatment of COVID-19 patients and proper hearse management of those died of this pandemic ensuring the fundamental rights related to Right to Health,” the statement issued by NHRC on Tuesday says.

The national human rights body has stated that the news saying ‘the government would no more provide the free checkup and treatment of the COVID-19 patients, and the relatives have to manage the burial of the people who lost their lives due to coronavirus’ has grown its concern.

NHRC has mentioned that during monitoring it has found some of the public hospitals displaying notice that COVID positive patients have to pay for all the treatment cost from November 18th on wards.

It has reminded the government the fundamental right relating to right to health which says:

Article 35 Right relating to health: (1) Every citizen shall have the right to free basic health services from the State, and no one shall be deprived of emergency health services.

(2) Every person shall have the right to get information about his or her medical treatment.

(3) Every citizen shall have equal access to health services.

Similarly, NHRC has also quoted Clause 2 of the Public Health Service Act 2018 which hails, “The basic services related to the treatment of the infectious disease will be provided free of cost.”