ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday re-launched the health insurance scheme, which had been introduced by the previous Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz government as Prime Minister National Health Programme (PMNHP) in 2015, under the new title of Sehat Insaf Card after making some changes to it.

The scheme will now support up to Rs720,000 medical expenses of the family of each beneficiary annually, while those earning less than Rs150,000 per annum will also be covered provided such people also contribute a little to the insurance plan.

Addressing a cards distribution ceremony, PM Khan said: “The initiative proved a success in Khyber Pakh­tunkhwa, where around 69 per cent of the poor families had been given such cards who received quality healthcare.”

He said he came to know about the agony of the poor families after his own mother suffered from cancer at a time when there was no cancer hospital in the country. Sometimes the less privileged families even had to sell their belongings to bear the cost of medical treatment, he said.

Needy families in Islamabad and KP tribal districts being covered under Sehat Insaf Card with up to Rs720,000 annual insurance plan; 10m people in Punjab to be included in scheme this month

Mr Khan, who earlier distributed the health cards among the beneficiaries, said it would provide healthcare protection to the poor families.

He said all the government policies revolved around its manifesto of poverty alleviation by giving incentives to industries and allowing investors to create wealth that would create job opportunities and eventually reduce or alleviate poverty. “No country can progress until it spends on uplift of education and health sectors. The government is striving to improve these sectors, ensuring the best possible use of available resources,” he said.

The ceremony was attended by Minister for National Health Services Aamer Mahmood Kiani, Punjab Health Minister Dr Yasmeen Rashid, Sindh Governor Dr Imran Ismail, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Shah Farman and officers from the health sector besides the beneficiaries.

The prime minister announced that the health cards would initially be distributed among the needy families in Islamabad and tribal districts of Khyber Pakh­tunkhwa. Within a month, he said, around 10 million people in Punjab would be given Sehat Insaf Cards.

Under the PMNHP that the previous government had launched four years ago, cards were distributed in Islamabad as well as in different districts of Balochistan, Punjab, Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir. The PML-N government had described it as the first step towards making Pakistan a welfare state. However, the KP government then refused to become part of it because they had to share finances with the Centre but started running the programme in the province.

Federal Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry later told the media it was a moment of pride that the PTI government had launched Sehat Insaf Cards programme in the tribal districts of KP and Islamabad.

“It will safeguard the poorest segment of the society as an annual amount of Rs720,000 has been allocated for each family. By February 20, it will be launched in four districts of Punjab and will cover 10 million people,” he announced.

Mr Chaudhry further said: “It has been decided that journalists and artists would also be included in the programme. Moreover, people who earn less than Rs150,000 would also be included in the programme but they will have to contribute a little along with the government.”

Replying to questions, he said that the health cards could be provided to former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and leader of the opposition Shahbaz Sharif so that they would start getting treatment within the country. He said the federal government also decided to introduce the programme in Tharparkar district because the leadership of Sindh remained in Dubai.

The health cards would be provided to the people who have been identified in a new survey of Benazir Income Support Programme and earn up to two dollars a day.

Minister for National Health Services Aamer Mahmood Kiani said that the insurance programme was the initiative of Prime Minister Imran Khan. By 2030, he vowed, health cards would be provided to every person.

Published in Dawn, February 5th, 2019