Baglung. A total of 45,395 households in the district are enlisted in the health insurance programme. A total of 141,509 members of these families are affiliated here.

It was implemented in the district from 2073 BS. Last year, 1 lakh 26 thousand people were enrolled in the insurance scheme, which has increased by 15 thousand to 141 thousand 509 now. The number of people enrolling in the health insurance scheme which began 9 years ago is gradually increasing.

Dhaulagiri Hospital, Baglung Nagar Hospital, Galkot Nagar Hospital, Jaimini Nagar Hospital and Dhorpatan Nagar Hospital are providing the first points of health insurance. With the increase in the number of people enrolling in the health insurance scheme, Badigad Basic Hospital has become the first point of service, said Narayan Prasad Poudel, coordinator of Health Insurance Board, Baglung.

Of the 141,509 enrollees, 74,602 are female and 66,903 are male. “The health insurance system provides free health treatment up to Rs 100,000”, Poudel said, adding, “The number of people opting for health insurance is gradually increasing. Most of the people have started taking health insurance as they can get treatment in government hospitals throughout the year after paying the premium once a year. ’

Of the total population of 249,211 in Baglung, more than 50 per cent of the population has acquired health insurance. According to Poudel, most of the people living here have started taking health insurance as the outflow rate is increasing rapidly due to employment and other reasons.

As per the health insurance programme, a family of five members has to pay Rs 3,500 annually while a family with more than five members has to pay Rs 700 per member as per the annual health insurance cover and the family members having more than five members have to pay up to Rs 100,000 per year.

Sarita Sharma, an employee associated with the health insurance registration, said that the trend of patients visiting private clinics after getting the insurance has also increased.