Devdaha first local level to have hospital in Rupandehi

By Our Correspondent,Rupandehi, Feb. 2: Devdaha Municipality of Rupandehi district has become the first municipality among the 16 local levels in the district to operate a municipal hospital. That was made possible after an agreement was signed between Devdaha Municipal Hospital and Health Insurance Board. 

Gaurav Dhakal, Chief of District Public Health Office, Rupandehi, said that the residents of the municipality who have got health insurance from the hospital will be provided with free treatment, lab tests and medicines from the hospital.

A team led by Dhurba Kharel, Mayor of the municipality, reached the insurance board office in Kathmandu and signed an agreement to provide services as per the Health Insurance Act 2074 BS and Health Insurance Regulations 2075 B.S. 

Devdaha is the first local level among the 16 local levels in Rupandehi to operate a municipal hospital and provide health insurance after the implementation of federalism. The municipality has already operated a 10-bed municipal hospital. The city hospital has been operated by adding infrastructure to the building of the old Devdaha Health Post.

Mayor Kharel said that after the agreement, the board will inform the hospital employees about the health insurance program. The human resources required for the operation of the programme, insurance management information system, claim payment, and treatment expenses rate will be arranged by the municipal hospital. 

After the implementation of the health insurance programme, the insured people will get lab tests, video X-rays, X-rays and 1,133 types of medicines free of cost at the municipal hospital.

In addition, it will be easier to get the service as people will be referred to other hospitals for CT-scan, MRI, surgery and other services which are not available in the municipal hospital.

The municipal hospitals will have to provide services under the facility bag as mentioned in the regulations within the active period of the insured people, follow the National Treatment Code (Protocol) while providing treatment services, and make claim payments through the insurance management information system. According to Devdaha Municipality, the agreement will be valid for five years.

Mayor Kharel said that there was a plan to declare the municipality a fully health insured local level by providing health insurance to its residents within five years. The mayor said that the poor families unable to pay for the renewal of the health insurance fee would be made free of cost from the budget of the municipality.

Four doctors, five nurses, five paramedics and two lab technicians are working at the hospital, including three from municipal sources and one from government posts. The hospital has been providing round-the-clock emergency services, maternity, video X-ray, laboratory and pharmacy services.