KATHMANDU, Jan 19: Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has instructed the Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP) to promptly formulate an action plan for reforms based on the report of the Health Insurance Reform Suggestion Task Force.
After listening to the briefing on the report and suggestions of the task force on Sunday at the PM’s residence, Baluwatar, PM Oli said that citizens should be educated with the goal of creating a healthy Nepal and the situation where people cannot afford treatment when they fall ill must be prevented.
Health Insurance Reform Committee’s report proposes health insu...
He instructed the MoHP ministry to come up with a work plan within a week to improve the program by making it more practical based on the objective review and suggestions provided by the task force for the health insurance program.
Health Minister Pradip Paudel, coordinator of the task force Dr Shambhu Acharya, members Dr Bhagwan Koirala, Dr Raghu Ram Kafle and member secretary Dr Saroj Sharma briefed PM Oli, highlighting the need for policy, legal and structural changes in the health insurance program.
Currently, about 11 billion is yet to be paid under this program. In this program, 27 percent of the total population is currently involved, and among those involved, 48 percent have taken the service. The task force has suggested all citizens have mandatorily participated in the program and below the absolute poverty line receive free healthcare services.
The task force has also suggested integrating this program with basic healthcare and other social security funding programs. The task force submitted its report to the ministry on December 29.
