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MUZAFFARABAD: Minister of State for National Health Services, Regulation and Coordination Saira Afzal Tarrar said on Thursday that the Prime Minister’s National Health Programme (PMNHP) would be gradually extended to 23 districts across the country to help 3.2 million families living below the poverty line.
“The programme is designed to bring drastic improvement in the indoor quality treatment and access to hospitalisation for the poorest and underprivileged people of Pakistan,” she said at a press conference here, after reviewing preparedness for the launch of PMNHP in Muzaffarabad scheduled for Feb 5.
Dr Assad Hafeez, director general in the federal ministry of health services, Sardar Mahmood Ahmed Khan, director general health services in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), and several other officials were present on the occasion.
“Diseases are one of the reasons for people plunging into poverty and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has been of the firm opinion that Pakistan has to stop people falling beneath the poverty line to improve its gross domestic product,” she said.
She recalled that after the launch of PMNHP in Islamabad on Dec 31 last year hundreds of deserving people had received treatment under it in the health facilities on the panel, and the response was overwhelming.
“Muzaffarabad is the second area after Islamabad where this scheme is being launched on Feb 5 that happens to be the Kashmir Solidarity Day. Though it’s a small gift from the federal government to the AJK people, it speaks volumes about the importance and affection we give to this territory,” she said.
The minister said that the pilot project would include two AJK districts, Kotli being the second one, selected on the recommendation of the AJK government.
An estimated, 82,000 families in Muzaffarabad and 70,000 in Kotli, living below the poverty line, would benefit from the scheme, she said, adding that gradually it would be extended to other districts as well.
The minister said each beneficiary family would be provided with free indoor hospital treatment of Rs300,000 under the scheme.
This includes Rs50,000 for minor medical and surgical treatment and Rs250,000 for heart ailments (angiography, bypass), management of diabetes mellitus and its complications, burns and road traffic accident, including life and limb saving treatment, dialysis, management of chronic infections and management of cancer, including chemotherapy, radiotherapy and surgery, she said.
Continuing, the minister said that additional similar amount would be allocated for those beneficiaries whose treatment expenditures would cross their stipulated limits and would be in need of additional financial support to carry on treatment.
Published in Dawn, January 15th, 2016
