Issues regarding health card administration, including staffing at hospital counters, are set to be resolved province-wide, announced Secretary of Health Mahmood Islam during a visit to the State Life Insurance Corporation office in Peshawar.
Accompanied by Chief Executive Sehat Card, Dr. Riaz Tanoli, Secretary Islam instructed State Life Insurance officials to promptly address Sehat card-related concerns and ensure adequate staff presence at health facility counters.
Discussions between Secretary Islam and State Life Insurance representatives centered on operational collaboration, with a focus on the expeditious disbursement of dues to empaneled hospitals to maintain uninterrupted free treatment services under the health card scheme. State Life Insurance delegates briefed Secretary Islam on assessment procedures, emphasizing reforms aimed at enhancing transparency in the process.
Secretary Islam underscored the Health Department’s commitment to delivering uniform and cost-free healthcare in rural areas, emphasizing that no compromises will be made in this regard. Collaboration between State Life Insurance Corporation and the Health Department aims to guarantee standardized and cost-free treatment for all.
The recent restoration of free treatment services under the Health Card Plus initiative across Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) was highlighted, with Provincial Health Minister Syed Qasim Ali Shah detailing the initiative’s expansion since its inception in 2015. Minister Shah lauded the successful implementation of the Health Card services, noting the availability of 1,800 medical treatments across 118 public and private hospitals in the province.
Minister Shah announced the reopening of Health Card counters at hospitals, allocating additional funds to the insurance company for this purpose. He assured ongoing efforts to address challenges such as over-billing and irregularities, emphasizing the Health Card’s long-term commitment to serving economically disadvantaged citizens.
Under Chief Minister Ali Ameen Gandapur’s leadership, K-P is poised for further development in healthcare services, reaffirming the government’s dedication to improving access to quality healthcare across the province.
It may be recalled that K-P government has fully restored the free treatment facility on Sehat Insaf Card across the province.
On March 12, Provincial Health Minister, Syed Qasim Ali Shah addressed a press conference regarding the reactivation of free healthcare services under the Health Card Plus initiative for the people of the province.
The Provincial Minister shared that the Health Card initiative began in 2015, initially covering four districts of the province. By 2020, the scheme had expanded to cover the entire province, with an annual expenditure of Rs18 billion. The Health Minister, along with Chief Executive Sehat Sahulat Program, Dr Riaz Tanoli and Program Director Dr Ijaz, provided updates on the ongoing efforts.
Praising the successful implementation of Health Card services in K-P, Minister Shah stated that 1,800 different medical treatments are now available for free in 118 public and private hospitals catering to various specialties across the province. He highlighted that a significant amount of Rs10 million had already been spent on the admission of seven hundred patients by noon on Tuesday.
This reflects a fulfilment of ex-Prime Minister Imran Khan’s vision, which has been rejuvenated, and currently, an average of Rs3 billion is spent monthly on the Health Card.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 28th, 2024.
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