Kathmandu, Oct 20

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has urged the government for providing free test and treatment for the COVID-19 patients as well as to manage the dead bodies of those dying due to Coronavirus infection.

In a press statement issued by the Commission’s secretary Bed Prasad Bhattarai here today, the human-rights watchdog has appealed with the government to ensure the rights to health to people that is guaranteed by the constitution. The Commission has said that its attention has been drawn towards the government hospitals issuing the notice that the COVID-19 patients should bear the test and treatment expenses for COVID-19 for themselves effective from October 18.

Stating that the number of COVID-19 infected persons was spiking every day across the world, the Commission has expressed its concern over the government’s decision not to bear the test and treatment cost of the COVID-19 infected persons and the dead bodies of COVID-19 patients be managed by their own families. The Article 35 of the Constitution of Nepal guarantees that every citizen shall have the right to free basic health services from the State and no one shall be deprived of emergency health services and every citizen shall have equal access to health services.

Likewise, the Public Health Service Act-2075’s Clause 2 states that every citizen shall receive free basic health services from the State against communicable diseases.

The NHRC in the press statement has citied these two provisions and has argued that the State could not lag behind its responsibility in ensuring citizens’ right to health by reframing from providing treatment to the COVID-19 for free of cost.