PACP to be extended to whole province

Dr Yasmin claims all 29.3m Punjab families will get free health coverage by December

LAHORE:

Punjab Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid announced a massive scale up plan for Punjab AIDS Control Programme (PACP) during a meeting with United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) on Monday.

UNDP Resident Representatives Knut Ostby and Aliona Niculita, as well as Deputy Resident Representative Amir Khan Goraya and Ayesha Babar met the provincial health minister.

DG Punjab Thalassemia Control Programme Dr Hussain Jaffery and Project Director Punjab AIDS Control Programme Dr Faisal Masood were also present during the meeting.

The health minister discussed the coronavirus pandemic situation in the province with the UNDP delegation and deliberated on the extension of the Punjab AIDS Control Programme.

Reportedly, the UNDP delegation appreciated the performance of the Punjab health department under the leadership of Dr Yasmin Rashid.

Read Free treatment for HIV/AIDs: Dr Rashid

Speaking on the occasion, the health minister highlighted that the Punjab government has been involved in providing free diagnostic facilities, medicines and treatment services to more than 13,000 patients.

She said that the PACP was being scaled up to serve patients in all 36 districts of Punjab. “Smart cards have been launched to facilitate patients registered with the PACP,” the health minister told the delegation.

Dr Yasmin also stated that the PACP recently inked an agreement with a private sector organisation to provide free ration to 1,000 patients per month.

“The government is utilising all resources to defeat the coronavirus pandemic,” she said, adding that the department would build seven state-of-the-art mother and child hospitals during the next two years.

She maintained that by December all 29.3 million families of Punjab will be provided free health insurance coverage.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 7^th, 2021.