The government of Nepal has decided to provide an insurance coverage of NRS 25 lakh to health workers and security personnel deployed to prevent an outbreak of coronavirus infection in Nepal. The insurance will cover health workers and security personnel until end of Ashar (15th July, 2020).

Doctors, nurses, ambulance drivers and security personnel – the front line protecting Nepal against a possible outbreak will be protected under the insurance scheme. The meeting also decided to make Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) available to health workers for free of cost.

The decision by the cabinet is in recognition of the efforts played by the health care and emergency workers towards preventing/delaying the pandemic’s widespread epidemic in Nepal.

Meanwhile, the government is also being urged to increase the number of tests of the novel coronavirus- as of 29/03/2020, a total of 917 tests had been conducted. Nepal’s test numbers are being criticised by doctors and health organisations personnel.

Dr. Devkota, spokesperson of the Health Ministry, responding to public interest about the number of tests had said the limitation was owing to the number of test kits available. He said 20,000 kits have arrived in Nepal from China yesterday, and the government will step up the number of tests. He also said PPEs will be made available to doctors and health care workers in all provinces at the earliest.