CPN (Maoist Centre) leader Giriraj Mani Pokhrel said on Thursday that one of his achievements during his 80-day tenure as the health minister was endorsement of the Health Insurance Bill from Parliament.

Pokhrel in the capacity of the health minister had on October 10 tabled the Health Insurance Bill, which envisions universal health care, in Parliament for endorsement.

The Maoist minister was stripped of his health ministry portfolio on Tuesday after Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba reshuffled his Cabinet. 

According to Pokhrel, a taskforce has been already formed to formulate regulations to immediately implement the health insurance programme across the country. 

“This model of health insurance in Nepal is based on social justice. The important part of this programme is equity. The decision of the premium for the insurance will be based on the income of households,” said Pokhrel. “The government will pay premium for those poor people who can’t pay it.”

The Health Insurance Bill has already been signed into law by President Bidya Devi Bhandari. Though the bill was endorsed during Pokhrel’s tenure as the health minister, Nepali Congress leader Gagan Thapa had played an instrumental role in passing the bill. Thapa as the health minister also had pushed for the bill. 

Pokhrel said endorsement of the Rapti Health Sciences Academy Bill was yet another achievement of his as the health minister.