Kathmandu. In the name of the ease of the insured associated with the health insurance program, it has become even more uncomfortable to fix the first service point of the government health institution.
It has become very difficult for the insured to go to the first service point and get a referral, making it difficult to get health care. At present, the Health Insurance Board has designated a total of 377 government health institutions as the first service points across the country. The first service points have not yet been set at hundreds of local levels. As a result, the insured of one local level has to travel a long distance to reach the first service point of the other local level and return empty when he does not get a referral to the designated health institution of the dispatch center (referral center).
Some time ago, there was a lot of opposition after the insured of Dharan was forced to go to other local levels. It has been reported that the insured of Banepa and Dhulikhel of Kavre are finding it difficult to get health services from Kathmandu.
As the first service point has not been fixed in Banepa, the insured has to go to Dhulikhel or Panauti Primary Health Center. However, 75-year-old Uttam Adhikari, an insured of Banepa, complained that both the health centers were refusing to give referral citing lack of human resources. “The government used to say that people will get treatment easily through health insurance, but it has become even more uncomfortable,” adhikari complained, adding, “I don’t know how many places we have to spend our own money to get the facilities provided by the government at this old age.” ’
The health insurance staff deployed at Dhulikhel Hospital on Tuesday asked him to bring a referral from the first service point. He initially went to Dhulikhel Primary Health Centre. However, the staff there turned the officer away saying that there was no one to refer. He then went back to Panauti Primary Health Centre. There, too, he got a similar answer.
In this way, even after reaching from one place to another, he again came to Dhulikhel Hospital and complained. However, when the hospital staff did not listen, he returned home without seeking medical care.
Dhulikhel Hospital officials were the only ones who returned after not getting insurance treatment.
The government has now made arrangements for the people associated with health insurance to get medical services from anywhere. However, the first service point has become a problem for the insured.
However, the Health Insurance Board has said that the first service point has to be fixed due to the increase in the rush of insured directly to large and specialized hospitals. However, at the first service point, the necessary health services and medicines are not enough, so the insured is forced to take a referral. However, in order to get a referral, they have to return empty-handed even after moving from one first service point to another.
