Tamghas. The people of Gulmi district are getting attracted towards the health insurance programme introduced by the government under the social security scheme. The health insurance programme was initiated with the objective of providing easy access to health services.

A total of 51.65 per cent of the population in the district has access to health insurance. According to the 2078 census, out of a total population of 246,836 in the district, 127,355 people have got health insurance. Of them, 65,666 are female and 61,689 are male.

The highest number of 24,541 people have enrolled in health insurance in Resunga municipality. Similarly, 6,400 people from Chandrakot, 12,263 from Chhatrakot, 10,305 from Dhurkot, 10,210 from Gulmi Durbar and 7,350 from Isma have also got health insurance.

Likewise, 6,703 people of Kaligandaki, 3,676 of Madane, 8,199 of Malika, 7,841 of Musikot, 14,085 of Ruru Region and 15,782 people of Satyawati have also got the health insurance scheme, said Subash Ghimire, chief of the Health Insurance Board, Gulmi.

A total of 1,524 families from 21,033 families and 4,602 families of 883 women health volunteers have been provided with 50 percent discount in the health insurance scheme. The government has also provided free health insurance to the senior citizens, people with disabilities and their families suffering from various diseases. Among them, 17,712 senior citizens have got access to free health insurance.

A total of 3,999 people from 793 families with disabilities under category ‘A’, 482 people from 166 families suffering from HIV/AIDS, 12 people from three families of leprosy patients and 25 people from six families suffering from MDR and TB have also been provided free health insurance scheme, said Ghimire, chief of Health Insurance Board, Gulmi.

The health insurance programme was initiated in Gulmi on February 2, 2019. The government provides insurance coverage for up to five members of a family for three thousand five hundred. In which medicines worth one lakh rupees are provided free of cost.

Similarly, if there are more than five family members, each person will be added to the first insurance premium at the rate of Rs 700 and the amount will be Rs 20,000 as the cost of treatment, said Health Insurance Board.