The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) health department has announced significant changes to its Sehat Card Plus scheme, raising concerns and impacting healthcare services across the province. The decision entails the removal of 94 hospitals from the panel of Sehat Card Plus, retaining only one private sector hospital in each district for free treatment. Official sources have cited financial constraints as the primary reason behind this move.
The Sehat Card Plus scheme was originally established to provide free medical treatment at various hospitals. Still, complaints about inconsistent quality of care and a lack of essential facilities prompted the government to take action. In some instances, political affiliations played a role in the inclusion of hospitals that were ill-equipped and offered subpar services. As a result, a stringent criterion will be applied to maintain only hospitals meeting the requisite standards.
Presently, due to the provincial government’s failure to clear dues to the State Life Insurance Company, only emergency, kidney dialysis, and cancer treatment are covered by the Sehat Card. However, it is expected that once these financial obligations are met, the full range of treatment services will be restored.
Under the revised plan, each district in the province will have only one designated hospital for free treatment through the Sehat Card, mainly in government hospitals. A new set of rules and regulations, pending approval by the caretaker cabinet, will govern these changes.
Unfortunately, the abrupt shift has led to challenges for patients, with the emergency department at Lady Reading Hospital (LRH) in Peshawar experiencing shortages of medicines and blood tubes. LRH, being the largest public sector healthcare facility in K-P, has been significantly affected. Consequently, the suspension of free treatment under the Sehat Card has placed additional strain on the healthcare system, leading to disputes between patients and hospital staff.
Other hospitals, such as Khyber Teaching Hospital (KTH) and Hayatabad Medical Complex (HMC), have also seen free treatments for heart diseases suspended due to a lack of funds, as the insurance company has ceased payments to hospitals, impacting their ability to purchase necessary medicines.
A spokesperson for LRH emphasized that despite the financial constraints, patients continue to receive free treatment at the emergency department, and the treatment coverage under the Sehat Card will be reinstated as soon as funds are made available.
The financial crisis in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa is primarily attributed to the non-payment of dues by the federal government, causing disruptions in healthcare services. In response, the provincial government released Rs2 billion for the Sehat Card Plus scheme on October 21, following the suspension of insurance services for the sixth consecutive time.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 30th, 2023.
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