Government will bear health insurance premium of absolute poor: Finance Minister

Kathmandu–Finance Minister Dr Yuba Raj Khatiwada has said the government is making preparation to bear the amount of the health insurance for the population falling under the absolute poverty line.

The Finance Minister said this while addressing to the 45th anniversary progrmme of Nepal Eye Hospital here today. The eye hospital is operated at the community level.

On the occasion, he stated that it was the government's policy to include all the people in the health insurance. "We are about to get the exact data on the size of the population living under the absolute poverty line.

The government shall bear the premium amount of their health insurance once we get the data," Finance Minister Khatiwada said. Presently, the government has been bearing Rs 100 thousand as health insurance premium of the elderly citizens above 70 years through the Health Insurance Board. The health insurance scheme that was started on April 7, 2016 is currently implemented in 42 districts. A total 1 million 571 thousand 488 citizens of these districts are covered by the health insurance.

The Board plans to expand the health insurance scheme in all the districts within one year. Minister Khatiwada also underlined the need of making the human resources, equipments and service of the health service providing institutions qualitative along with increased access to health insurance. He said the local, state and federal governments should pay attention to this aspect.

"The contribution made by the Nepal Eye Hospital is important and the government will extend necessary support to developing it into a centre of excellence in eye treatment and training and production of human resources in the coming days," the Finance Minister said. Stating that programmes as child nutrition, Golden 1000 Days, child protection grant and nutrition based on food grain have been implemented for improving the overall child health status, he said additional investment would be made in school health education in the coming days.

The Minister also urged the business orgnisations to fulfill their social and environmental responsibility. Hospital's health director Dr Kalam Bahadur Khadka said the hospital has been expanding the sphere of its services as well as paying attention to production of human resources relted to eye health. Chair of the hospital board of directors Bishwa Kanta Mainali said the goal is to develop the hospital into a model hospital in terms of eye treatment services and production of related human resources. The hospital has been producing MD degree holder doctors in eye health. It is one of the best community hospitals of the country.