The Province 3 government has initiated the Chief Minister People Health Check-up Programme to provide free health examination facility to the impoverished and marginalised communities in the province.

Chief Minister Dormani Paudel started the programme in the Hetauda Hospital on Sunday. He filled up health check-up forms for three persons from impoverished families and formally started the programme. Speaking at the function, Paudel said the health programme is launched to help the poor, marginalised families; conflict victims; and family members of the martyrs.

The provincial government plans to initiate the health programme from five districts of Province 3 in the current fiscal year. Besides Makwanpur, the programme will be launched in Bhaktapur, Sindhupalchok, Sindhuli and Dhading districts within this fiscal year. Hetauda Hospital in Makwanpur, Dhading Hospital, Bhaktapur Hospital, Sindhuli Hospital and Chautara Hospital of Sindhupalchok will provide health services to the targeted groups.  

Yuvraj Dulal, provincial minister for social development, said the programme would be extended to all 13 districts of the province in the next fiscal year.

Under this programme, the assigned hospital will conduct health checkups of 2,000 people in each district on the recommendation of the ward chairperson of the local units. The beneficiary should be above 30 years of age.

According to Satish Bista, health division chief of the social development ministry, the government has allocated Rs 32 million to launch the health programme in the current fiscal year. Each hospital has been provided Rs 2,200 for the health check-up of an individual.

Dr Khem Bahadur Karki, a consultant of the programme, said a beneficiary would know about his/her health situation through the programme. However, if the beneficiaries are diagnosed with any disease, they should bear the health expense on their own or get help from the federal government for treatment.