The Ministry of Health and Population has instructed private medical colleges and government hospitals to publish details of their service fees to address complaints about excessive charges, the state-run national news agency RSS reported.
According to RSS, the ministry in response to these complaints directed healthcare institutions to display information about their fees on their websites or in an easily accessible format to ensure transparency for service seekers.
The circular requires institutions to provide clear details about surgery fees, bed types and charges, radiology services, and lab test fees, aiming to eliminate confusion and prevent overcharging, RSS added. It also instructs them to disclose ticket prices and other service charges to ensure patients are fully informed.
Acting on Health Minister Pradip Paudel's directive to enhance transparency in healthcare costs, the Quality Measurement and Regulation Division issued the circular to private medical colleges and government hospitals.
To enforce compliance, the ministry said it will monitor whether healthcare institutions make their fees public. Institutions failing to comply with the directive or found overcharging patients will face penalties, the circular added.
