BAJURA, MARCH 23
Locals in Bajura were elated when the Insurance Board initiated health insurance campaign here by making Kolti Primary Health Centre a major service point in compliance with Health Insurance Act 2017 (2074) and National Health Policy 2019 (2076) in May 15, 2019.
However, the service is far from being realised.
The campaign had selected District Hospital in Martadi for five local levels in Bajura and Kolti Primary Health Centre for four of the local levels in northeast side of the district to begin its services.
The facility, if actualized, would have given external services, emergency services, internal services, diagnostic services, surgical facility and provided medicines listed as free of cost.
Many locals had participated in the insurance campaign in hope that they would be given concession while getting treated for complicated diseases. However, they have not received any of the enlisted facilities, yet.
This has greatly demotivated them and hence many have not cared to renew the insurance.
The inefficiency of services in Kolti Primary Health Centre, as such, has failed people in Budinanda Municipality, Himali Rural Municipality, Swamikartik Rural Municipality and Jagannath Rural Municipality from receiving needed assistance.
According to Janak Saud, Coordinator of Sudurpashchim Health Insurance, health workers of Kolti Primary Health Centre had also been provided special training for the operation of this service.
However, due to weakness of local government, the operation is still not coming through, she shared.
Health Coordinator Jasiram Sahani shared that the campaign requires pharmacy and internet services while Kolti Centre lacks a pharmacy.
According to Vice Chair of Budinanda Municipality, Shristi Regmi, a meeting has already decided to operate a pharmacy at the center. "Why the pharmacy has not yet come into operation despite the decision, even I don't know," she shared.
Meanwhile, Sahani blames mismanagement in Kolti Centre for the issue.
According to the initial plan, families below the poverty line need not pay a premium for insurance. Likewise, given that the family has five members, they have to pay Rs 3,500 and if they are more than five members, they need to pay Rs 700 extra for each member added which would have provided them health services worth Rs 20,000 per person for free, and for family of five Rs 100,000.
Much to the surprise and adding to the disappointment of the locals here, these promises have gone on to be mere passing words.
