PM launches National Health Programme for AJK

Muzaffarabad and Kotli districts of Azad Kashmir are included in Prime Minister's National Health Programme

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Thursday launched the National Health Programme for Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

“While the government should strive to build better roads, railways and power generation facilities in the country, steps should also be taken to provide quality healthcare and education facilities for the poor people,” PM Nawaz said, while addressing the launching ceremony of the PM’s National Health Programme in Muzaffarabad.



The prime minister claimed that providing the finest healthcare services to the common people was a part of the national health programme.

Nawaz further claimed that his government was working for progress and improvement in all sectors as he hoped to eliminate poverty, illiteracy and unemployment from the country. “We are not doing politics on national issues and there is a complete consensus between the ruling party and the Pakistan Peoples Party for the development of Kashmir,” the prime minister said.

Muzaffarabad and Kotli districts of Azad Kashmir are included in the Prime Minister's National Health Programme, which will benefit over 82,000 and 79,000 families respectively. The scheme was announced by the prime minister in Islamabad on December 31 last year.



The scheme is designed for the poor families with free of cost access to secondary as well as priority diseases treatment. The annual cover of the scheme is up to Rs300,000 extendable to Rs600,000.

In its first phase, the programme will be implemented in 23 districts of the country. A baseline survey has already been completed in Azad Jammu and Kashmir to identify the current out of pocket expenditure of its focused beneficiaries.

President and prime minister of AJK, along with other senior officials, attended the launching ceremony of the programme in Muzaffarabad.