By A Staff Reporter
Kathmandu, Mar. 14: In an effort to provide 50 percent discount in health services to senior citizens, the government has launched ‘Geriatric Friendly Health Services’ (GFHS) programme at some hospitals in all the seven provinces.
The Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP) has started the programme in 24 districts.
As per the programme, citizens aged 60 or older, called senior citizen, can avail themselves of the discount from the hospital management as prescribed in the Geriatric Health Service Operation Directives (GHSOD) 2077, brought into effect by the MoHP for implementation of the programme.
Under that directives, four hospitals in Province 1, four in Province 2, seven in Bagmati, two in Gandaki, three in Lumbini, two in Karnali and two in Sudhurpachhim will be providing free health services to senior citizens, who are required to show the documents corroborating their ages, old age allowances and identities.
In addition, if senior citizens have subscribed to health insurance policy, the treatment amount will be deducted from that, and if the insurance amount is insufficient, they can leverage benefits from the GFHS programme. But no one can benefit twice for the same services or treatment.
However, those who do not use the ward or bed prescribed by the hospital, they can avail of the service.
According to the directives, the hospitals needs to have senior- citizen-friendly infrastructure at emergency ward and out and in patients’ departments. Also included in the directives is: hospital management or its social service management committee needs to evaluate the GFHS programme internally and make necessary improvements on annual basis.