Skip to main content

PM Shehbaz relaunches Sehat Card health insurance scheme in ICT, AJK and GB

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday reintroduced the state-run health insurance programme — popularly known as the Sehat Card Programme — in the federal capital, Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), and Gilgit-Baltistan.

Speaking at the launch ceremony of the facility in Islamabad, PM Shehbaz said, “Access to health facilities is the right of every citizen, and such facilities should be delivered to their doorsteps.”

The prime minister added that through the launch of the Sehat Card, his government had taken yet another swift step to serve the nation.

“This step is the revival of the same scheme that my leader, Nawaz Sharif, had initiated in 2016 for the first time,” he said.

The scheme was originally introduced in 2016 when the PML-N government was in power. It was made available to citizens in Punjab, Balochistan, and the then Federally Administered Tribal Areas (present-day Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) and the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT), with expansion plans.

In 2019, the PTI-led government relaunched the programme under the title of Sehat Insaf Card after making some changes to it, such as the provision of up to Rs720,000 worth of medical expenses of the family of each beneficiary annually, while those earning less than Rs150,000 per annum were also covered, provided such people also contributed a little to the insurance plan.

“Nothing is more precious in life than health, as it is needed to pursue education, to earn money, take part in sports, and defeat the opposition. Nawaz Sharif’s services will be remembered and spread on a priority basis.

“Today, the Sehat Card is being issued for Islamabad, AJK and the people of GB.”

Congratulating the Health Minister, Mustafa Kamal, health secretary, and all the members of his team, PM Shehbaz added: “It should be noted that the elite in Pakistan and across the world can afford expensive treatment for themselves and their families, but it’s very hard for a common man, orphan children and labourers to earn money.

“If they or their family members fall sick and die without treatment, the lives of their dependents become very dark.”

He added that good health and the right to treatment were every Pakistani’s right.

“I hope the health minister, the secretary, and his team, through a third party, will ensure the treatment will be provided properly. And I hope this programme will continue at speed, and you will monitor it,” he said, addressing Kamal and his team.

PM Shehbaz also said that he would talk to the chief minister of Sindh regarding the initiative based on Kamal’s suggestion.

“In Punjab, this programme is onging and billions of rupees are being spent on it. Likewise, in Balochistan and KP, the programme is running successfully. I am sure Sindh has a similar programme, and its CM is very active regarding health and education. But I will talk to him and resolve the issue so this facility will take shape there as well.”


More to follow.



from Dawn - Home https://ift.tt/ZYWjapt
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Ministers rubbish notion that proposed retirement age extension to favour ‘one particular institution’

Information Minister Attaullah Tarar on Tuesday rubbished the notion that a proposed extension in the retirement age was to favour “one particular institution”, adding that the move would be implemented across the board if approved. The rebuttal comes in the wake of media reports claiming that the government was mulling changes to the Constitution to fix the tenure of the chief justice . Currently, judges of the Supreme Court, including the chief justice, retire after attaining the age of superannuation, i.e. 65 years, as stipulated in Article 179 of the Constitution. While giving his opinion recently on the reports of the constitutional amendment, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar had said he “will not vehemently turn down the proposals related to the tenure of the chief justice”. Addressing the issue during a press conference in Islamabad today along since Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb and the law minister, Attaullah said the extension in the retirement age was “a proposal to a...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Republican primary race for president in 2024

The Republican primary race for president in 2024 is already shaping up to be a competitive one. There are a number of high-profile candidates who have already announced their intention to run, and more are expected to join the field in the coming months. The frontrunner for the nomination is former President Donald Trump. Trump has been teasing a 2024 run for months, and he has a large and loyal following among Republican voters. However, he is also a polarizing figure, and his candidacy could alienate some moderate Republicans. Another potential contender for the nomination is Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. DeSantis has been praised by many conservatives for his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and his opposition to vaccine mandates. He is also seen as a rising star in the Republican Party. Other potential candidates include former Vice President Mike Pence, former Ambassador Nikki Haley, and Senator Tim Scott. Pence is a more traditional Republican who could appeal to moderate vote...
1 comment
Read more

In pictures: Grief in Gaza and the loss of a child

In the photo, the woman cradles a child in her arms, balanced on her knee. It is an image that resonates, as ancient as human history. But in a grim inversion of the familiar, we see that the child she holds close is a corpse, wrapped in a shroud. It is a quiet moment of intense grief. The woman wears a headscarf and her head is bowed. We cannot see who she is nor can we learn anything about the child — not even if it is a boy or girl. Palestinian woman Inas Abu Maamar, 36, embraces the body of her 5-year-old niece Saly, who was killed in an Israeli strike, at Nasser hospital in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, October 17, 2023. The child is one of many who have lost their lives on both sides in the Israel-Hamas war. Most have names we will never know, whose deaths will spark a lifetime of grief for family members we will never meet. In the 21st century, an average of almost 20 children a day have been killed or maimed in wars around the world, according to Unicef. Reuter...
Post a Comment
Read more