All Outstanding Health Insurance Payments to Be Cleared by Bhadra: Minister Poudel
Kathmandu – Minister for Health and Population Pradeep Poudel has announced that all outstanding dues under Nepal’s national health insurance program will be cleared within the month of Bhadra.
Speaking at the inauguration of the Deurali Primary Hospital in Jhalbas, Hupsekot Rural Municipality-4, Nawalparasi, on Sunday, Minister Poudel shared that the pending insurance payments will be settled in two installments.
He urged hospitals to reinvest the funds received through insurance reimbursements to expand and strengthen healthcare services. “If even 30 to 40 percent of the amount received for insurance is invested back in health services, it would significantly enhance public health infrastructure,” he said.
Highlighting a growing public trust in government-run hospitals, Minister Poudel noted that the demand for services in public healthcare institutions has seen a sharp rise in recent times. He emphasized the government’s aim to equip every municipality with well-facilitated primary hospitals to reduce the strain on larger institutions.
Minister Poudel also informed that since Shrawan 1, 48 hospitals across the country have begun operations in newly constructed buildings. These facilities, led by local governments, will receive financial and technical support from both the provincial and federal levels.
He added that the state has been providing lump sum discount schemes to reduce the treatment cost of complex diseases. “Unless healthcare services are improved, people will not experience the real benefits of the republic,” he said. “The government is fully committed to ensuring affordable healthcare by enrolling every citizen under health insurance.”
The newly inaugurated five-bed Deurali Primary Hospital in Jhalbas officially began providing services from Sunday.