Insurance for civil servants to be expedited

HIMALAYAN NEWS SERVICE


KATHMANDU: Ministry of General Administration (MoGA) is to expedite the process for implementing health and accident insurance programme for civil servants.

As immediate relief programme package, MoGA has prioritised health and accident insurance scheme for government employees in coordination with Finance Ministry.

According to the relief package, MoGA will immediately start working with the Finance Ministry to implement the insurance scheme as proposed by a report submitted last month.

The report, which is under discussion at the Cabinet Committee, has proposed accident insurance worth Rs 5,00,000 and Health insurance up to Rs 300,000 for civil servants.

According to MoGA Spokesperson Binod KC, the ministry will soon discuss fiscal aspects of the programme with the Finance Ministry.

“Coordination with the Finance Ministry regarding the process and details is necessary as it is related to finances,” said KC.

In May, the government had, in principle, agreed to a proposal floated by the Ministry of General Administration (MoGA) to provide health insurance to civil servants, their spouses and children up to the age of 21 years.

Undersecretary at the ministry Kiran Sharma said the report was submitted as a pilot project insurance plan, which will make it easier for the government to introduce an insurance plan for the entire citizenry .

He also said insurance for civil servants would attract able and young candidates to public service besides promoting insurance business in the country.

According to the report, after the insurance scheme becomes effective, every government employee or their kin will be entitled to claim 100 per cent accident insurance amount if he/she is permanently disabled in an accident or dies due to the accident. It also provides cover for accidents caused due to the atomic radiation, and accidents during war.

The report also proposes certain per cent of accident insurance for permanent partial disability and temporary complete disability.

However suicide, ‘intentional’ accident, accident while inebriated, accident at a wheel race, horse race, bungee jumping, paragliding or other adventure sports are not covered.

Similarly, the proposed health insurance will cover expense of allopathic treatment of all ailments including general surgery, snake bite, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and treatment of accidental injuries as well as delivery cases.

However, the government health insurance scheme will not cover treatment expenses for venereal or sexually transmitted diseases like HIV/AIDS. It will also not cover the cost of change of sex and plastic surgery for aesthetic reasons, among others.

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