- शनिबार, १५ वैशाख, २०८१
Kathmandu, May 19– The Government of Korea is to provide a grant of 4.5 million US Dollar (approximately Rs. 460 million) to implement the national health insurance support project in different five districts.
Choe Yong-jin, South Korean Ambassador and Finance Secretary Yubaraj Bhusal signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on behalf of their respective governments amidst a signing ceremony here today.
The Korean Government, through Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), will provide the grant until 2017 for this project. In line with the Nepal government’s national health insurance policy and design, which intends to provide healthcare services for all families at an affordable cost, the project aims to contribute to achieving universal health coverage through providing technical support for the preparation of the national health insurance scheme as well as support in enhancing the capacity of relevant stakeholders in health insurance sector.
Besides this, the project includes variety of other activities like comprehensive district assessment of Kailali, community mobilization, national health insurance enrollment campaigns, health facility strengthening to deliver quality health care services, district level orientation, and training including others.
KOICA will support in implementing the health insurance scheme in Kailali, Ilam, Baglung, Banke, and Sarlahi districts though the scheme will be taken in Kailali for trial.
During the signing in ceremony Choe Yong-Jin stressed that the lessons learned from implementing this project in Kailali can be meaningful for the government while implementing the programme in other districts. Similarly, he hoped for a healthy Nepal where all citizens have equal access to quality health care.
Finance Secretary Yubaraj Bhushal also informed that the government strongly desires for the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) in nepal and stressed the importance of the health insurance programme as an important means for the UHC. Likewise, he mentioned that very soon the programme will be scaled up throughout the nation and thanked Korean government for the assistance in the national health insurance programme.
Since 1996 KOICA has been supporting in health sector with various development assistance projects, In close cooperation with the Ministry of Health and Population, KOICA has also been actively involved in ceremony based Health Insurance Programme and has implemented pilot programme in field level.
KOICA has also joined the technical working group for the national health insurance in 2011. Health being one of the prioritized area of KOICA, it is committed to increase its support in coming days, it is stated in a press release issued by KOICA today.
