Rs178 million development funds announced. PHOTO: MARIAM ESSA/EXPRESS
Germany has pledged Rs140 million for supporting social health protection schemes in Gilgit-Baltistan, said a press release.
German Development Bank (KfW) Pakistan Office Head Dr Anna-Christine Janke, Gilgit-Baltistan Health Secretary Ali Rizvi and Economic Affairs Division Joint Secretary Ali Reza Bhutta signed an agreement to this effect.
“We are glad to be able to support social health protection in Gilgit-Baltistan. Healthcare remains one of our main fields of development cooperation,” Dr Janke said.
The five-year project totals an amount of Rs1.4 billion, 90 per cent of which will be utilised in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.
The overall goal of the programme is to improve the public health by providing a safety net and reducing out-of pocket payments for health expenditures.
The health protection scheme includes a cashless system for service delivery from public and private healthcare providers as well as hospitalisation services up to an annual limit of Rs25,000 per person. It covers 21 per cent of the poor households in the region.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 28th, 2014.
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