Health cards bids opening ceremony held

ISLAMABAD: In line with the directions of Prime Minister Imran Khan, the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination has completed an important step to expand the ambit of Social Health Protection Initiative (Sehat Cards) to poor families.

Minister for National Health Services Aamir Mehmood Kiani on Saturday presided over the bids opening ceremony for provision of Sehat Card across the country.

The financial bids of insurance companies were opened in the presence of media for provision of health cards to 14 million families across the country.

Through these health cards, families living below poverty line will be provided $2 per day with financial protection against extraordinary healthcare expenditure.

This Sehat Card provides its enrolled poor beneficiary access to quality indoor healthcare services, worth Rs720,000 free of cost and with dignity from public and private empaneled hospitals of their choice across the country.

Wide range of both medical and surgical indoor services are included in this scheme including heart surgeries, stunts, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, dialysis, maternity and other medical and surgical services.

For this purpose, the ministry initiated its procurement process through which an insurance company was to be hired and contracted out for the implementation of the Health Cards scheme for next three years.

Technical bids of the interested and shortlisted insurance companies were reviewed by a specially notified high powered evaluation committee on December 6 and 7 while the submitted financial bids were opened publically and in front of national wide media and procurement results announced on December 8.

The evaluation committee had representation from all provinces and had members from Ministry of Finance, Planning, Law and Justice and BISP. It is pertinent to mention that the Ministry of National Health Services is aiming to complete the contracting process with selected insurance company during the month of December.

It is expected that upon completion of the programme implementation, a total of 14 million families (approximately 80 million individuals) would be enrolled and benefiting from the scheme in all districts of the country.

Speaking on the occasion, the federal health minister vowed to make all out efforts to provide the best possible facilities to the poor segment as per vision of Prime Minister Imran Khan.