SUDURPASCHIM: More than 732,000 people in Sudurpaschim Province have enrolled in the government’s health insurance programme, according to the Health Insurance Board’s provincial office.
A total of 732,752 people had been registered under the scheme as of mid-August, with the figures recorded in the Insurance Management Information System, said Janak Bahadur Saud, coordinator of the board’s Sudurpaschim office.
Kailali has the highest number of insured people in the province. The district is followed by Kanchanpur with 87,087 enrollees, Achham with 67,308, Bajhang with 52,211, Bajura with 45,454, Baitadi with 34,270, Dadeldhura with 33,378, Doti with 27,862 and Darchula with 23,203.
The government introduced the health insurance programme in 2016 as a social security initiative aimed at improving public access to affordable and quality healthcare while reducing the financial burden of medical treatment on households.
The Health Insurance Board was established under the Health Insurance Act, 2074 BS, and the Health Insurance Regulations, 2075 BS, to implement and manage the programme nationwide.
Saud said the expansion of health insurance is an important part of ensuring citizens’ constitutional right to healthcare under Article 35 of the Constitution of Nepal. The provision guarantees every citizen access to basic healthcare services, while ensuring that no one is denied emergency medical treatment.
The Constitution also guarantees citizens the right to information about their medical treatment and equal access to health services, as well as the right to clean drinking water and sanitation.
Article 51 of the Constitution further outlines the state’s policies concerning the provision and expansion of healthcare services.
Under the health insurance scheme, a family of up to five members must pay an annual contribution of Rs 3,500. Households with more than five members are required to pay an additional Rs 700 for each additional member.
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