Rahim Yar Khan visit: Nawaz says government is a transient thing

Launches national health card scheme; says govt striving for people’s welfare

BAHAWALPUR: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has said no one can remain in power for ever and that the governments must take care of the people and be honest as the real authority belongs to the masses.

In an impassioned address during which he moved to tears at the launch of PM’s National Health Card scheme in Rahim Yar Khan on Friday, Nawaz said the government in the past squandered billions of rupees on projects that did not provide any direct benefit to people.

“By such acts, these rulers harm their afterlife. Government’s resources belong to people and it is a big sin to use that money for personal gain,” he added.

Nawaz claimed that his government was making every effort to reduce the miseries of the common man by providing them better life amenities. “I want to ease the lives of the common people by giving them access to basic facilities in a dignified way, particularly better health services,” he said.

The programme, started in 2015, will be extended to 23 cities. “And now it has been initiated in Rahim Yar Khan to help poor people to get better medical facilities,” he said.

Nawaz, who got visibly emotional, said poor people in the country had little or no access to healthcare and in case of diseases like cancer or cardiac diseases, they were unable to afford expensive treatment.

He said the PM’s Health Card scheme would enable patients to gain access to public and private hospitals on panel, even for the treatment of cancer, cardiac issues including by-pass surgery and angioplasty, liver diseases such as hepatitis, pregnancy and post-natal complications, injuries and burns.

He said the insurance card will cover for medical treatment of up to Rs0.3 million. However, on exhausting of limit, the treatment would be completed with the financial assistance of Baitul Maal.

“If the government has to spend even half of the total budget on the health facilities, it will spend it for the better medical facilities,” he claimed. He mentioned that 0.39 million families had so far been registered with the scheme in the cities including Islamabad, Quetta, Kotli, Skardu, whereas work in Lasbela and Khanewal, was in progress.

“Some 334,000 people will benefit through this scheme and get the medical treatment from public or private hospitals on their panel,” Nawaz added. The prime minister said his government had launched several development projects, which would usher in an era of progress and prosperity.

He mentioned that a network of motorways was being expanded across the country, adding that it was only the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz that built a motorway in the country.

“Ask any other political party, government or dictator in the past. None of them have constructed motorways, which not only reduce distances but end poverty,” he said. Earlier, the prime minister gave away health cards to the deserving families and individuals.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 22^nd, 2016.