Govt decides not to bear cost of COVID-19 treatment, PCR testing

Kathmandu / Oct 18: The government has decided not to bear the cost of treatment and PCR testing of COVID-19 patients effective from Sunday.

A cabinet meeting held recently decided to bear only the cost of treatment and PCR testing of frontline workers including differently-abled, single women, senior citizens, security personnel, and sanitization workers. They will also be tested only after showing COVID-19 symptoms.

With this decision, ordinary citizens other than the frontline workers and other designated groups have to bear the cost of COVID-19 treatment and PCR tests on their own.

In a regular virtual press briefing, Dr Jageshwar Gautam, spokesperson for the Ministry for Health and Population, said the decision will be effective in all the government, non-governmental hospitals and laboratories starting Sunday.