Health Ministry directs hospitals to make public treatment fees of COVID-19 patients

KATHMANDU, June 2: The Ministry of Health and Population has directed all hospitals to make public the expenses required for the treatment of the COVID-19 infected patients.

The Ministry has instructed the hospitals to make public the medical treatment fees for the patient through websites and notice board within seven days.

Chief of the Quality Assessment and Monitoring Division at the Ministry, Dr Madan Kumar Upadhyay directed the government, private, cooperative and community hospitals and health institutions to make this information public within a week through the decision of their respective Board of Directors, Governing Committees and authorised body.

He said the Ministry's this directive is in response to public complaints that several health institutions were taking exorbitant treatment fees from patients.

"It is the right of every citizen to know the amount required for the treatment of the patient while it is the legal and moral duty of every health institution to make the cost of treatment of the patient public and transparent," Dr Upadhyay said in a notice today. 

Likewise, the Ministry has urged the hospitals and health institutions to make public the fees, specifying the type of service provided by them and its fees. 

The Ministry stated that several complaints have been received through the 'Hello Government' hotline service at the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers and through social media of hospitals and health institutions charging excessive fees  even for oxygen, increasing additional financial burden on the patient by requiring unnecessary tests, asking the patient to personally arrange for materials required for the treatment, and making the patient buy medicines and medical supplies more than the required quantity.