Govt to revise rates for services under Sehat Card

Move driven by inflation in recent years

PESHAWAR:

The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government has decided to revise the rates set for hospitals for the treatment and operations of various diseases under the health card in the province.

It has sought the rates from all public and private tertiary care hospitals in terms of the services provided for the treatment of different diseases and their related expenses.

Sources said the provincial health department had appointed a committee for this week -- chaired by Dr Sabila Aziz, a policy board member of the Sehat Sahulat Programme.

It also includes other other relevant officials of the programme and the zonal in-charge of the insurance company. The first meeting of the committee has already taken place.

The sources said different rates were fixed in 2018 for the fees for various diseases and operations on the health card.

They added that the public and private hospitals were bound to provide treatment under these prescribed rates and they were being paid accordingly.

However, the sources said because of the rising inflation in the recent years, not only the prices of medicines and their raw material had increased, but hospitals were also facing difficulties in purchasing various items required for operations as well as other expenses.

This had compelled hospitals and doctors to repeatedly requested the government to revise these fixed rates. Surgeons in most hospitals had requested a review of these fees, especially as stents became expensive in heart operations and the prices of other items also witnessing an increase.

According to the sources, it has now been decided to review the rates of cardiology, ICU care, dialysis and major operations.

All tertiary care private and public hospitals in the province have been directed to provide the final list of rates by Thursday.

After that, the committee will review all these provided rates next week.