Govt to keep a rein on Health Card scheme

Lower income limit proposed for free treatment from private hospitals

LAHORE:

The provincial authorities are planning to curtail treatment facilities under the health card scheme, including discontinuing gynaecological services in private hospitals.

According to sources, the health authorities have submitted recommendations in this regard to the Punjab government.

According to sources, following the announcement of the provincial budget, the departments concerned have started work on amending the approved health card policy for limiting the medical facilities to benefit only the poor citizens.

The recommendations forwarded in the first phase include discontinuing the gynaecological services under health card in private hospitals from July.

A senior health official said the recommendation was likely to be approved and implemented. He said some other decisions in this regard were also likely to be implemented from next month.

The sources said it had also been proposed that heart patients should pay 30% of the treatment cost in case of using private hospitals.

According to the sources, after the policy revision, only those persons in Punjab would get free treatment whose monthly income is less that Rs65,000. The lower limit of monthly income for free treatment in private hospitals will be Rs60,000.

The Punjab government has allocated in the annual budget Rs15 billion for the health card facilities, while Rs111 billion has been spent on treatment in the government and private hospitals.

A spokesperson of a provincial health department said while speaking to The Express Tribune that the Punjab government was providing uninterrupted services to the public through the health card. "We are trying to make it more beneficial for the poor."

He said insurance officials had sought strict monitoring of the medical services provided under the scheme.

Health card was initiated for the facilities of the public of the Punjab and by using this card free medical treatment facilities of Rs1 million annually were available at the public and private hospitals of the Punjab.

Now the plan of closure and cut on treatment facilities has disturbed the worries of public.

"Health card was a big source for the poor and needy peoples to get treatment facilities and this was also a successful initiative of the former government to give ideal treatment facilities to public.

However, now this is a big shock for the public as we listening that in next month government is minimising facilities.

“In this though time when peoples are already suffering with poverty and price hike and now closure of facilities on health card is just an act to close health facilities for thousands of people in the Punjab,” said Haneef Khan, a government servant.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 26^th, 2023.