Kaski. Rupa Rural Municipality of Kaski is going to provide health insurance to all the citizens of the municipality. Out of a total of 3,500 households in Rupa, 500 families have been insured so far and the rest will be included, informed the Rural Municipality Chairman Nawaraj Ojha.
According to him, the rural municipality will bear 50 percent of the 3,500 that will be required to insure a family of five under the health insurance program.
Ojha said that the municipality has allocated a budget of Rs 2 million in the current fiscal year to provide subsidies for insurance. He said, “Healthcare service is a fundamental right of citizens.” We have implemented the fundamental right to increase citizens’ access to healthcare services through health insurance.’
Similarly, the health insurance program has started at Rupa Hospital, established by the rural municipality, from Monday. Rupa Hospital has implemented the health insurance program in collaboration with the Insurance Board. The rural municipality has stated that the health insurance program has been started to make it easier for people to go to Pokhara to get services and face various problems, as there is no health insurance program in the health institution within the municipality.
Chiranjivi Baral, the rural municipality’s chief administrative officer, informed that 28 health workers, including two doctors, are currently working at Rupa Hospital. The hospital plans to expand dental treatment services from next year. Baral informed that the municipality has been spending Rs 5 million annually to operate the hospital.
Rupa Hospital Medical Superintendent Dr. Subash Subedi informed that the hospital provides 24-hour emergency services, OPD services except on public holidays, free ambulance facilities, X-ray machines, labs, pharmacies, pregnancy tests, village health clinics, and regular vaccination services.
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