ISLAMABAD: While the much-touted health card has been completely suspended in Islamabad and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and some facilities have been withdrawn in Punjab, the State Life Insurance Corporation-supported ‘Awami Health Card’ will be available for medical treatments soon.

In this regard, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed in Islamabad by Chairman Rawal Institute of Health Sciences (RIHS) Khaqan Waheed Khawaja and representative of State Life Dr Saleem Akhtar on Wednesday.

The card linked to the Nadra database will be issued within two months to each family after the payment of Rs12,500 premium and will allow them to avail treatment at private hospitals to the tune of Rs1 million.

Families eligible for Rs1m treatment after paying Rs12,500 premium

According to Mr Khawaja, the government health scheme has been suspended for 2.8 million residents of Islamabad and 5.5 million residents of Kashmir whereas the gynaecology services have been suspended in Punjab. In light of these developments, the ‘Awami Health Card’ scheme has been formulated.

“Under the facility, each family of up to seven children will be able to get treatment of Rs1 million in a year. Four separate packages have been introduced, under which people can get treatment up to Rs2 million and other facilities, such as private rooms,” he said.

“State Life is being requested to issue as many as 5,000 cards in the first phase and 35,000 cards will be issued in the next phase. We will establish six more health facilities in Islamabad and AJK during the next year,” he said, adding that the cardholders will get angiography and angioplasty, cardiac bypass surgery, general surgery procedures, gynaecology, urological procedures, ENT, paediatric surgeries, ICU and NICU, dialysis, endoscopic procedures and other indoor treatments. Mr Khawaja said medicines and lab tests would be free for patients admitted to the hospital.

“Currently, 85 per cent patients are not getting basic medical treatment and no public sector hospital has the positron emission tomography (PET) scan and cyber knife in Islamabad,” he said.

RIHS Co-Chairperson Saleha Khaqan said the aim of the scheme was to develop trust between the masses and the health sector by providing medical treatment at affordable rates.

“Although health cards do not give any facility for outpatient departments (OPDs) it was decided that every cardholder will get a 40 per cent discount on consultancy and a 25pc discount on lab tests,” she said, adding that they were making efforts to take other hospitals on board.

Published in Dawn, October 24th, 2024