March 30: Health Ministry is going to implement Health Insurance Program from Kailali district. “Among the three districts selected for the first phase, implementation of the program will commence from Kailali,” informs Guna Raj Lohani, Executive Director of Social Health Security Development Committee. Ilam, Baglung and Kailali were selected in first phase for implementation of the program. According to Lohani, the registration process for the program in Kailali will start from Chaitra 25, while health service will be commenced from the month of Jestha. 

The ministry has made agreements with local health institutes and hospitals for medical checkup of the insurers. Agreements have been made with Kohalpur Hospital, Melkuna Hospital, Dhangadhi Hostpital, Tikapur Hospital and four primary health centers for the purpose. Similarly, 124 trained volunteers have been assigned for the program in Kailali.

As per the program, a family of five can take health insurance of Rs 50,000 by paying Rs 2,500 as insurance premium. But families under extreme poverty will get 100 percent discount in insurance premium. Likewise, families under moderate poverty and poverty will get 75 percent and 50 percent discounts respectively. The government will categorize poor people on the basis of identity card distributed by Poverty Alleviation Ministry. 

The government had announced health insurance program in the budget of current fiscal year in a bid to secure health services to all citizens. It initiated health insurance through Social Health Security Program under Health Insurance Policy in 2071 BS. Kailali, Baglung, Illam, Jhapa, Rautahat, Chitwan, Bhaktapur, Myagdi, Kaski, Palpa, Jajarkot, Jumla and Baitadi have been selected as sample districts for the program. The Health Ministry plans to expand the program in other districts after the implementation in sample districts.