PESHAWAR: The government has announced to provide free health facilities to all residents of tribal districts in all hospitals empanelled by Sehat Sahulat programme in the whole country on their Computerised National Identity Cards.

The decision was made in a meeting held here on Monday with Chief Minister Mahmood Khan in the chair, according to sources. The government also decided that people of the merged districts would be entitled to seek services on the Computerised National Identity Cards till getting Sehat Insaf cards.

Authorities have so far provided 300,000 SICs to as many families and the remaining 700,000 would get the same within couple of months. So far, the government has notified two private and as many public sector hospitals in Bajaur tribal district and two in Khyber tribal district where a total of 6,000 patients have received free services.

There are 1.1 million families in the erstwhile Federally Administered Tribal Areas who all can get treatment services in all 79 hospitals in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Authorities asked to expedite process of issuing Sehat Insaf cards

Meanwhile, the quarters concerned have been directed to designate the hospitals in the rest of the merged districts so that people could get services in their own areas.

The State Life Insurance Corporation, which is implementing the programme on government’s behalf, is working closely with SSP to carry out assessment of the hospitals in tribal districts and approved the facilities there.

The SSP is run by the federal government but Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is implementing the programme in merged districts owing to its vast experience in the province where it was launched in 2016.

The programme was started by the previous PTI government in the province and it was later extended to other parts of the country when the party assumed power at the centre.

More than Rs5 billion has been spent on free diagnostic and treatment services provided to about 160,000 patients, mostly suffering from cardiac ailments, women and child illness, diabetes, etc.

Officials say that SSP covers about 95 per cent of the common diseases and give cashless services to card-holders for hospitalisation. Outdoor patients are not entitled to seek treatment on the card.

The government has also announced extension of the programme to the entire population which is likely to be started from October this year. The SSP is in the process of signing an agreement with State Life Insurance Corporation to cover the whole population of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Meanwhile, a statement said that chief minister has directed the officials concerned to expedite the process of providing SICs to the residents of entire province as well merged areas.

He was briefed regarding the health services and future plans and was informed that cards would be provided to people in a phases. On the occasion, he asked the authorities concerned to impart training to the staff and scale up awareness so that the people start taking benefit from the programme.

“The initiative is unique because under it people are being investigated and treated free of cost regardless of their financial status,” said the statement.

Published in Dawn, July 2nd, 2019