Health insurance: People angry over not fixing first service points in many local levels including Dharan

Kathmandu. The Health Insurance Board has issued a list of health institutions designated as the first service point with effect from Mid-July.

The Insurance Board has released a list of 377 first service points to make it easier for the insured associated with health insurance to avail health services anywhere. The Insurance Board has made a provision that community and private health institutions will not be the first service points with effect from Mid-July.

There are no health institutions at many local levels including Dharan at the first service point made public by the Insurance Board. This is the reason why the residents of these areas are angry.

The Insurance Board has made many critical comments on the first service point information released on its Facebook page. San Pakhrin Tamang responded to the board’s notice and wrote, “Now the people of Dharan should go to Itahari and Inaruwa. Is your mind broken or not?”

Similarly, N-Raj Bhandari has also written, “I need a referral if I have to go to a hospital in Morang, an insured person from Sunsari. ’

Similarly, Lekhraj Shrestha has expressed anger against the people’s representatives of Dharan. He wrote, “The people’s representatives who won from Dharan are losing the services of Dharan due to the fight between the political parties of the federal parliament and the political parties. ’

Information Officer of the Health Insurance Board, Bikesh Malla, said that the first service point has been fixed in the government health institutions available at the local levels for the convenience of the insured. “The first service point has been set so that the insured can get health services in a smooth manner wherever he is. ’

On the other hand, malla clarified that the federal and specialist hospitals, specialized hospitals and establishments have not been designated as the first service points so that there is no unnecessary crowding. “If you need additional treatment after going to the first service point, you can immediately refer the specialist and specialized hospital insured,” he said.

Malla said that the Insurance Board has already written to these local levels to demand the first service point and to set up infrastructure when some local levels, including Dharan, do not have the first service point. “There has been a demand from some local levels,” he said, adding, “The board will continue to add the first service point.” ’