Kathmandu, March 7

Association of Private Health Institutions of Nepal has agreed to make public the fees charged by hospitals for different services within 10 days.

The government had recently decided to direct private hospitals to make their charges public on their websites. “We will issue a circular to all our member institutions asking them to keep the details of charges for different services on their websites. Those institutions that do not have their own website will have to display the details of charges on citizen’s charter,” said Homraj Dahal, general secretary of APHIN. More than 250 health institutions are members of APHIN.

“We always wanted the government to fix the charges for health services. The initiative taken by the Ministry of Health is a good start. This will help patients know the charges in advance and choose the hospitals accordingly,” said Dahal.

Private hospitals that do not have their own website can also submit the details of fees to the Ministry of Health. The MoH will then display the charges on its website, said Dr Bhola Ram Shrestha, chief of Curative Service Division at the MoH.

“We took the decision as patients are unaware of the charges until the treatment is completed. The new rule will help patients compare the fees different hospitals charge and decide where to seek treatment,” said Dr Shrestha.  The government move comes following reports that some hospitals were overcharging patients.