New proposal to extend medical benefits for police personnel

Kathmandu, January 29 — A proposal has been made to provide additional treatment facilities for police personnel in Nepal, including covering transportation costs for those needing medical care. The proposal is part of a bill that has been registered at the Federal Parliament Secretariat.

According to the bill, police officers who fall ill in remote areas will be entitled to transportation allowances for travel to and from places with medical facilities.

The bill stipulates that if local health facilities are unable to provide necessary treatment, police officers will be referred to higher medical centers. With the approval of the Inspector General of Police, the proposal includes covering the costs for transportation to and from these treatment locations.

The bill also outlines the provision of medical expenses for police officers based on their rank and service duration.

Officers above the rank of Inspector will be entitled to medical expenses equivalent to 12 months of their salary, while Senior Sub-Inspectors will receive 18 months' worth, and police personnel in the non-gazetted and basic categories will be entitled to medical expenses equal to 21 months of their salary.

Additionally, for officers who retire with pension after serving 20, 25, or more years, the proposal includes an additional 10%, 15%, and 20% of the remaining medical expenses, respectively. The bill further states that the total additional amount for treatment will be provided as a lump sum.

This new provision aims to cover the costs of transporting police personnel who fall ill in remote areas to hospitals and back, a service that is not currently in place. However, the provision for annual holiday bonuses, equivalent to one month's salary, for active and retired police officers during festivals will continue as before.