Sehat Insaf Cards launched in three more districts

CM says people deprived of quality healthcare in the past will benefit from the cards

LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar inaugurated the Sehat Insaf Card scheme for Pakpattan, Okara and Sahiwal on Saturday.

The chief minister, while addressing the inaugural ceremony of the scheme for the three districts, said that people were deprived of quality health facilities in the past. “The Sehat Insaf Card provides an opportunity for citizens from low-income backgrounds to get treatment and access to medical facilities in private hospitals free-of-cost.”

Treatment, medicines and test facilities will be made available to the cardholders and the expenses will be paid by the provincial government, he added.

Buzdar briefed that travel expenditure will also be provided to patients having Sehat Insaf Card. “The card will provide treatment facilities and free follow-up visits for eight diseases. Special treatment facilities will also be provided to mothers and children.”

He maintained that 6.7 million families of 24 districts are receiving benefits from the facility. “The health card has been given to 25% of the population of Sahiwal, 29% of the people of Okara and 27% of the population of Pakpattan.”

He added that more than 2 million citizens of Sahiwal division have the card. He further said that Sehat Insaf Cards will be given to government employees under a phased programme. “Similarly, the cards will be distributed among religious clerics and students of seminaries, as well.”

Later, the chief minister also inaugurated seven megaprojects, worth Rs800 million, including a police complaint cell, computerised driving licensing lab and 15 control rooms for Sahiwal division. He announced three mega projects worth Rs1.19 billion, including the up-gradation of Sahiwal district headquarters hospital (DHQ) as a teaching hospital.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 25^th, 2019.