July 1, 2024
The public hearing program regarding the implementation effectiveness of the health insurance program in Karnali Province has been completed. The program took place on June 1 at Mehalkuna Hospital, Gurvakot Municipality, Surkhet. It was organized with the aim of analyzing the challenges in the service delivery of the Health Insurance Program, collecting policy reform suggestions for effective service delivery, and initiating improvements on behalf of the provincial government to make health insurance effective.
Hriti Foundation organized the program in collaboration with the UNDP Parliament Support Project (UNDP PSP) and the Social Development Committee of the Karnali Provincial Assembly, aiming to support the post-legislative scrutiny of the Social Development Committee.
The insured participants in the program stated that while the health insurance program is somewhat complicated, it makes accessing treatment easier. Pramod Jaisi, the insurance focal person at the hospital, said that the health insurance program has facilitated treatment and increased the number of patients at health institutions.
Ghanshyam Bhandari, chairman of the Social Development Committee, informed that the committee is studying the effectiveness of the insurance implementation. He promised to hold the government accountable based on the findings from such discussions. Members of the Social Development Committee and stakeholders from Mehalkuna Hospital participated in the program.
Mehalkuna Hospital is the second-largest hospital in Karnali Province after Karnali Province Hospital. Although it is designated as a 50-bed hospital, it is currently providing services with only 25 beds. According to hospital records, more than 25,000 people have received services until the end of Falgun in the current fiscal year. Pramod Jaishi, a health assistant at the hospital, informed that about 70 percent of the patients were treated through the insurance program.
