Dhangadi, November 9

Kailali was the first district where the health insurance programme was implemented. However, the insurance programme has not been effective in the district so far.

Lack of information about insurance, lack of quality service to insurers and the hospital’s failure to supply medicines has discouraged locals. They are not willing buy health insurance scheme. As many as 15,774 households have bought health insurance policy till date. Of those, 60 per cent are chronically ill.

Social Health Development Committee, Kailali, stated that various programmes were being run in the district to convince people to buy health insurance. Kailali District Manager of Health Insurance Programme Naresh Chaudhary said health insurance was very important and necessary as it would cover expenses of various health problems.

Health Insurance Programme, Kailali, is mulling over conducting an orientation programme for all elected representatives of rural municipalities and municipalities in the district. Chaudhary said they were planning to list two private health facilities as referral hospitals in the northern part of the district.

The government had introduced health insurance programme so that people would not be deprived of health facilities for want of money.