Reply To: Discussion Forum 2

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What rehabilitation services are included in health care coverage in Nepal?

1. Rehabilitation services are included in National documents for the health care coverage.

Following National Guiding Documents aligned based on the Constitution of Nepal 2015 have identified Rehabilitation services in the Healthcare system:
– The Public Health Act 2018
– The Act relating to right of Persons with Disabilities 2017
– National Health Policy 2019
– National Health Sector Strategy 2023 – 2030
– National Financial Strategy 2023 – 2033 has identified

2. Financing in Rehabilitation services for the health care coverage.
– The National Health Insurance (NHI)of Nepal has included rehabilitation services including 21 assistive products based on Nepal’s Priority Assistive Product list. But, the large number of service providers are Private practitioners which leads to Out of pocket spending and catastrophic financial hardship.

– Governments have provided Conditional Grants to provide rehabilitation services through Public Private partnership model.

– Inclusion of few rehabilitation services in the basic health package provided at the Primary health care level of Nepal.

– Tax-based financing, exemption of Tax for assistive products for Persons with disabilities.

3. Functioning-based indicators included for Population level survey e.g. National Demographic Health Survey 2022.

4. Service utilization data collection of rehabilitation services through DHIS 2: Health monitoring and information services (HMIS) platform.

5. Service delivery of rehabilitation services through all levels of the health care system. Even service delivery from Primary health care has been initiated at local levels.

6. Human resources distribution is uneven with large number of services delivered from the urban parts.