Kathmandu. KATHMANDU: Nepali Congress President Gagan Kumar Thapa has pledged to pursue health insurance as a national pride plan.

He made this commitment through a video message about health insurance today. He pledged to make insurance compulsory to all citizens and to take it forward as a national pride project.

He complained that the health insurance scheme is on the verge of closure due to lack of proper implementation. Thapa said that they are planning to stop the leakage and implement it.

He said that the government would make insurance compulsory for all, the government would pay the premium of low-income people, stop leakage and pay the insurance amount by imposing additional tax on alcohol and cigarettes.

Thapa had first initiated the concept of health insurance in 2073 BS when he was the health minister.