Equal Health Access

Healthcare access should be equal for all citizens, yet for many older people, persons with disabilities, and patients living with chronic illness, it is very difficult for them to receive regular health check-ups. In a country like Nepal, constant work pressure, travel costs, and poor road access discourage people from seeking medical attention until the last minute. To solve this problem, planners should bring basic healthcare services closer to those who need them most. A recent case in Kathmandu illustrates the importance of this approach. A team from the Centre for Health, Eye, ENT and Rehabilitation Services (CHEERS) identified a suspected case of glaucoma while screening workers at a dairy factory. The individual was advised to seek hospital treatment immediately. These kinds of screening show how effective taking healthcare services to workplaces and homes could be in helping detect health problems early. However, this can only prevent the disease from getting worse and should be followed by appropriate treatment in a timely.

Kathmandu Metropolitan City has also introduced home-based check-ups for older people and residents with severe disabilities. The report notes that preliminary assessments conducted under the municipal programme identified 128 high-risk senior citizens during the previous year. This shows that the responsible authorities have already taken some steps towards expanding home-based healthcare services that need to be recognised, because people who face difficulties accessing conventional health facilities are now getting good diagnoses in their own comfort.