Service seekers should refrain from harassing health workers

Kathmandu, March 5

The government has issued Standard and Procedure for Home-based Health Service-2020, to provide basic health services to senior citizens, persons living with chronic diseases and differently-abled persons at their doorsteps.

Women of prepartum and postpartum period, helpless persons, mentally ill persons, persons at rehabilitation centres and victims of gender based violence and human trafficking will also be entitled to home-based health services. As per the standard, the government will designate government, non-government, private and non-profit community health facilities as service providers for delivery of door-to-door health services. Any patient wishing to enjoy home-based service shall have to submit an application to the service provider health facilities designated by the government.

The government has classified services as general, special, specialised and emergency.

“Fee for medical check-up and treatment for home-based health services shall be as determined by the service providers on the basis of the type of service, distance travelled and qualification of medical practitioners,” reads the standard. The standard requires the concerned service providers to disclose the fee through their website, brochures and citizen charter, besides making it available to the concerned local level.

Local level may prescribe fee of health services. Concerned service provider may hire required number of doctors, nurses and other health workers by entering into a contract for the delivery of door-to-door services.

The standard has articulated duty of service-seekers, who will be obliged to provide factual information about their health and refrain from harassing health workers.

Service providers and health workers shall also maintain dignity of their positions, provide services without discrimination and ensure safety of patients. “Service providers and health workers have to maintain confidentiality of information they acquire from patients, besides respecting universal precautions,” it reads.

The standard stipulates a provision of a five-member quality regulation committee headed by chief of local level to ensure that health services meet quality standards. The committee includes representatives from civil society, concerned service provider agency, a senior nurse working at local level health institution and chief of health section of local level as members.

Concerned local level shall be responsible to grant permission to any health facility to operate homebased health services. For this, concerned health facility must submit an application to the local level along with necessary documents. If the health facility meets all requirements as prescribed in the standard the local level shall issue licence to it.

The standard was developed and issued to make necessary legal provisions to implement people’s right to get free basic health service and emergency health service guaranteed by the constitution.