Kathmandu, April 21 -- The government's health insurance scheme, the national priority programme aimed at ensuring universal health coverage, has almost collapsed, as most state-run health facilities have been providing only partial services.

Major hospitals such as Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital and Manmohan Cardiothoracic Vascular & transplant Centre, among others, stopped providing services under the health insurance scheme months ago. Other hospitals like Bir Hospital, Shahid Gangalal National Heart Centre and Tilganga Eye Hospital have been providing only partial services.

Bikesh Malla, information officer at the Health Insurance Board, said they get over 80 complaints every day from patients who are denied services under t...