Bhaktapur, June 11

Changunarayan Municipality is providing financial help to patients diagnosed with non-communicable diseases.

“The municipality provides Rs 10,000 to patients of diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, kidney diseases, cancer, tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS,” said Som Mishra, mayor of Changunarayan Municipality. He said that the municipality decided to give the amount to provide financial relief to patients suffering from non communicable diseases.

Of the total population of 55,430 in the municipality, 936 are diabetics, 683 are COPD patients, 135 are kidney patients, 173 are cancer patients, 71 are tuberculosis patients and 50 are suffering from HIV/AIDS.

“It’s been a year since we have been providing fund to people with these six diseases. Till May 14, 2018, 103 people have received the fund from the municipality,” Mishra informed.

In the fiscal 2016-17 the municipality allocated one million rupees to the health sector. “For this programme, we have spent more than the allocated budget. Now we are planning to allocate more fund than the previous budget,” he said. He also informed that people with mental health problems and other diseases had also reached the municipality office seeking financial support, but the municipality could not oblige.

On the basis of the prescription provided by doctors, the municipality provides Rs 10,000 to such patients or to their family members.