ISLAMABAD: The National Steering Committee on Prime Minister’s National Health Programme (PMNHP) has given approval to extend the scheme to 14 more districts. The programme will now spread across 40 districts and cover over 3.1 million families.

“We had funds to extend the programme for over 3.1 million families but were waiting for the approval to start working. Now we will be able to expand the scheme during the current fiscal year,” Director of the PMNHP Dr Faisal Rifaq told Dawn.

He said that out of 14 districts, 12 districts were selected from Punjab and two from Balochistan.

“New districts of Punjab, which have been included in the programme, are Muzaffargarh, Vehari, Lodhran, Multan, Rajanpur, Dera Ghazi Khan, Mianwali, Hafizabad, Bhakkar, Khushab, Bahawalnagar and Bahawalpur. While the two districts of Balochistan are Khuzdar and Killa Abdullah,” he said.

According to a statement issued by the Ministry of National Health Services (NHS) on Wednesday, the National Steering Committee meeting was chaired by NHS Minister Saira Afzal Tarar. Stakeholders, including representatives from the PM Office, provincial health departments, finance ministry, the National Database and Registration Authority and State Life Insurance attended the meeting.

Under the programme, each family gets Rs50,000 for secondary care treatment which begins as soon as a patient is hospitalised. It includes all kinds of diseases.

Published in Dawn, July 20th, 2017