The Bagmati provincial government has decided to provide blood transfusion services for free. Blood transfusion cost ranges from Rs810 to a maximum of Rs1,640 per unit.

Apart from free blood transfusion services, the provincial government has also decided to provide Rs50,000 to cancer and heart patients from the province.

The provincial government signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the concerned hospitals for the services at a programme held at Bir Hospital on Thursday, according to Sagar Ghimire, chief of the Health Office in Kathmandu. The MOU was signed in the presence of the Minister for Health and Population Mohan Bahadur Basnet and Minister for Health of Bagmati Province Uttam Joshi, said Ghimire.

“The provincial government has also decided to bear the remaining cost not covered by health insurance of impoverished people, female community health volunteers, people with disabilities and those from the endangered communities,” Ghimire said.

Officials at the Health Office, Kathmandu said agreements have been signed with Bir Hospital, Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital, Patan Hospital, Shahid Gangalal National Heart Centre, Bhaktapur Cancer Hospital, Manmohan Cardiothoracic Vascular and Transplant Centre and some other hospitals to provide the free services.

Patients suffering from cancer and heart ailments have to present recommendations from the local level verifying the person is impoverished.

Patients with disabilities and those from endangered communities will receive an additional Rs50,000 from the provincial government. This is an amount in addition to what the federal government provides, which is Rs100,000 to every patient suffering from cancer and heart ailments.

Moreover, the federal government bears 50 percent premium health insurance for female community health volunteers, people with disabilities and those from the endangered communities. The provincial government will now bear the remaining 50 percent premium.