KATHMANDU, AUGUST 27
Kathmandu Metropolitan City has written to all its 32 ward offices, directing them to provide specified amount as medical expenses to kidney, cancer and spinal cord paralysis patients in line with the procedure approved and issued by the Ministry of Health and Population.
KMC had recently decided to distribute the amount to the beneficiaries through implementation of the procedure. The letter sent by KMC on August 24 requires the ward offices to collect applications and necessary documents from genuine patients before providing the amount. It said any patient working in government bodies or other organisations and receiving pension would not be eligible to enjoy this medical facility. Similarly, those receiving social security allowance will have to choose between the allowance and the amount to be provided as per this procedure.
Recently, the Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration had dispatched the procedure to all the local levels, urging them to implement it for the relief of patients suffering from chronic diseases. The procedure aims to reduce the burden of medical expenditure on patients of chronic diseases who require medication throughout life involving a huge amount of money. The procedure was framed in line with the existing Public Health Service Act and Regulation.
Patients of specified diseases wishing to benefit from this facility are required to submit an application along with a copy of citizenship certificate or birth registration certificate and recommendation of a medical doctor to the ward concerned. In the case of spinal cord injury patients, the application should be accompanied by a disability card (red or blue colour). The beneficiaries will be entitled to Rs 5,000 per month. The local level concerned will credit the amount to the bank account of beneficiaries on a four-monthly basis.
The MoHP will reimburse the expenditure to the local levels on a half-yearly basis according to the statement of expenditure submitted by them. Likewise, each ward office will have to maintain records of beneficiaries on the basis of target groups.
The MoHP and Ministry of Social Development of the province concerned will carry out monitoring to ensure that the amount meant for beneficiaries is not misappropriated. The local levels should also conduct audit of the distribution of medical expenses to the beneficiaries, in addition to disclosure of persons receiving this facility through their respective websites.
A version of this article appears in the print on August 28, 2022 of The Himalayan Times.
