KOHAT: Deserving people here have urged the government to allocate appropriate funds for the Sehat Sahulat Programme in the district so that they could get their renewed cards and the much-needed health facility.

Sources said that many such people were issued the health cards two years ago, but now they had not been issued renewed cards on the plea that the government was not releasing funds.

Former chairman of Urban-I, Ward II, Haji Zahoor of Kohat city told this correspondent that he had collected 300 applications from his union council which were duly submitted to the authorities, but so far they had not received the cards.

He said that he along with 40 nazims had attended a meeting chaired by MPA Amjid Afridi at his guesthouse in this regard, but to no avail. He said that they had collected computerised identity cards from the sick people who could not afford medical treatment or medicines, but nobody had received the card so far.

He said that they had collected data and submitted it to the health department. He said that he ran from pillar to post to get one card or Zakat fund for a poor cancer patient, but could not succeed in getting even a penny from the government.

Likewise, they were exhausted to get any help from the government for son of one Zahid who had a hole in his heart, but they were given only Rs5,000 from Zakat fund.

He said that since launch of the facility he had received only 12 health cards, which after expiry were not being renewed.

Moreover, when this correspondent tried to check his eligibility status on 8500 a message was received that Sehat Sahulat Card facility was not available in his district.

Likewise, a social worker Umer Hayat was asked to check it in Hangu, who also received the same reply. When he checked many poor sick people had applied for the card, but did not receive any.

Published in Dawn, October 20th, 2019