JHANG: Punjab Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid has termed the Sehat Insaf Card a gift from the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) government to the poor, needy and deserving people.

She stated this while distributing the health cards to the deserving during a function at Jinnah Hall that was attended by Deputy Commissioner Tahir Wattoo, health department officials and elected representatives.

The minister further stated that the government was leaving no stone unturned to raise the living standard of the people, adding that the Punjab government was distributing the health cards among 171,976 families of the district.

She further stated that all basic health units of the district had been directed to stay open 24 hours a day and seven days a week. She said work on the mother and child health programme was also in progress.

Providing details of the health card, she said each family will receive Rs720,000 on a doctor’s recommendation to be followed by another disbursement of Rs700,000, if needed. Seventeen centres will be established at various points of the district for the registration of deserving families. The card will be useful in cases of cardiac and head surgeries.

Dr Rashid added that the government will also extend financial support for the last rites and burial of any member of a card-holding family.

Meanwhile, relatives of a 45-year-old patient staged a demonstration by blocking the Jhang-Khushab road for hours after the patient died at the 18-Hazari THQ hospital due to the absence of doctors, who had reportedly gone to Jhang for the event organised for the health minister.

Nazir Ahmad, a resident of the nearby Wasu Astana village, was taken to the THQ hospital in a critical condition, but there was no doctor on duty in the emergency ward, as all of them had allegedly gone to attend the event held in the honour of Dr Yasmin Rashid.

Ahmad died after remaining unattended after a long time. His relatives blocked the road in protest for several hours.

Health Minister Dr Rashid, taking notice of the incident, suspended a doctor and two paramedics and ordered an inquiry.

Published in Dawn, July 1st, 2019