KATHMANDU, APRIL 12
The Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration has sent to all the local levels the procedure for providing medical expenses to patients who have undergone renal transplant and are receiving dialysis service and cancer and spinal cord paralysis patients.
The procedure was recently approved by the Ministry of Health and Population. In response to a letter from the MoHP, the MoFAGA today dispatched the procedure to the local units, directing them to implement it for the relief of patients suffering from chronic diseases, said Section Officer Chiranjeevi Nepal.
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 the 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).
As per the procedure, the beneficiaries will be entitled to Rs 5,000 a month. The local level concerned will credit the amount to the bank account of beneficiaries on a four-monthly basis. However, any patient working in government bodies or organisations and receiving pension from the Government of Nepal or foreign governments will not be eligible to enjoy the 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.
The government has been providing allowance to senior citizens, single women, Dalits, persons from backward regions and differently-abled persons.
The procedure says that the MoHP will reimburse the expenditure to the local levels on a half-yearly basis according to the statement of expenditure submitted by them. The beneficiaries have to get their registration renewed by the ward office concerned in the beginning of each fiscal. Likewise, each ward office will have to maintain the 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 procedure assigns local levels to 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 April 13, 2022, of The Himalayan Times.
