Nearly half of Gulmi population have health insurance

By Ramesh Bishwokarma

Gulmi, Apr. 8: Locals of Gulmi are increasingly attracted to the government-initiated insurance scheme under social security.  A large number of locals have benefitted from the scheme, launched to ensure easy access to healthcare services. 

According to Subas Ghimire, Coordinator of the Health Insurance Board Contact Branch Office in Gulmi, the programme began in the district on February 2, 2020 with the aim of providing quality healthcare to the general public. Gulmi has 12 local levels, two municipalities and ten rural municipalities and as per the 2021census, a total population of the district is 246,836. 

So far, 119,954 people in the district have enrolled in the health insurance scheme. According to Ghimire, 58,026 men and 61,928 women have taken health insurance. This accounts for 48.6 per cent of the district’s population. 

He stated that as people have started realising the importance and effectiveness of the health insurance programme introduced by the government, the number of enrollees in Gulmi is largely increasing. The highest number of insured individuals is from Resunga Municipality, where 23,039 people have enrolled in health insurance, as per the data provided by the Health Insurance Board Contact Branch Office. 

According to the office total of 7,458 individuals of Musikot Municipality have enrolled in the scheme, while 6,490 individuals have enrolled in Kaligandaki Rural Municipality, 15,246 have enrolled in Satyawati Rural Municipality, 5,978 in Chandrakot Rural Municipality, 13,354 in Rurukshetra Rural Municipality, 11,663 in Chhatrakot Rural Municipality and 9,649 in Gulmidurbar Rural Municipality. 

In Ishma, 6,640 individuals have enrolled in the health insurance scheme, 9,328 in Dhurkot, 3,360 in Madane and 7,749 in Malika Rural Municipality, the office informed. 

Female community health volunteers have facilitated the enrollment of 4,318 individuals from 861 households into the programme. 

The government provides free health insurance to senior citizens, people living with HIV, leprosy patients and those suffering from severe forms of tuberculosis. 

A total of 16,954 senior citizens (above 70 years), 481 individuals from 165 HIV-affected families, 12 people from three leprosy-affected families, 3,883 persons from 771 families with category ‘A’ disabilities, and 25 individuals from six families suffering from severe tuberculosis are receiving the benefits of free health insurance.