According to the Health Insurance Board District Office, Pyuthan, 70 % of the citizens of Pyuthan are out of reach of the health insurance program. In the health insurance scheme of the Nepal government implemented in the nine local levels of the district, only 30% of the total population of the district is covered so far. Jed Bahadur Gharti Magar, Registration Officer of the District Health Insurance Board, said that the number of participants in the health insurance program, which was started in the district in 2018, has been reduced due to the complicated process of insurance, lack of public awareness and lack of understanding of the importance of insurance.
According to the 2021 census, the total population of the district is 232,219, and so far, 68,835 people have participated in health insurance. There is a policy to provide free health insurance for senior citizens, HIV-infected individuals, people with ‘A’ category disabilities, leprosy patients, and those with malignant TB, and they have been enrolled accordingly. The insurance program was implemented through 58 registered associates across the district. Among the nine local levels, Mandbi Rural Municipality had the highest participation rate at 72%, while Sarumarani Rural Municipality had the lowest participation rate at just 12%.
Many citizens participating in the insurance program have expressed dissatisfaction with the insurance facilities. Despite being insured, they often face situations where medicines are unavailable at health institutions, forcing them to buy medicines at their own expense. Uma Khadka, a 49-year-old resident of Pyuthan Municipality-3 and a participant in the health insurance, mentioned that the hospital has not effectively provided the benefits entitled under the health insurance scheme. Registration Officer Jed Bahadur Gharti Magar highlighted that citizens with health insurance have complained to the registered associates about not receiving services effectively. However, due to the lack of response, the attraction towards health insurance in the district has not increased. The treatment process is complicated, and there is a need for the Insurance Board and health insurance providers to emphasize increasing public awareness and understanding of insurance.