PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has released an additional Rs4 billion for the Sehat Card programme, CM’s adviser on finance Muzzammil Aslam announced here on Friday.

“A total of Rs24 billion have been allocated under the programme since Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur assumed his office,” he added.

Mr Aslam expressed pride in the fact that citizens were quite satisfied with the initiative, which offers free healthcare to residents.

In a major policy move, Chief Minister Gandapur has approved the expansion of the Sehat Card scheme by including more public and private hospitals in its panel. He directed the relevant authorities to convene a policy board meeting to finalise the inclusion of hospitals that meet the scheme’s quality standards.

The chief minister emphasised strict adherence to the established criteria, particularly ensuring hospitals’ accessibility for the population, with at least one hospital at the tehsil level to be included in the scheme. “This expansion aims to provide broader access to healthcare while maintaining the programme’s quality and efficiency,” he stressed.

Published in Dawn, November 16th, 2024