ISLAMABAD: The Natio­nal Database and Registra­tion Authority (Nadra) has signed an agreement with Ministry of National Health Services Regulations and Coordination for swift service delivery to health card holders.

Nadra will provide a `centralised information management system’ for permanent residents of Punjab to benefit from the Sehat Sahulat programme.

The agreement was signed by Nadra officials and health authorities of federal and Punjab governments at the Nadra headquarters.

The system will enable the people of Punjab to avail free healthcare services by using the computerised national identity card as a health card at authorised government and private hospitals.

With the latest agreement with MoNHSRC, Nadra will provide a digital solution system which includes Data Verification Services (Family Composi­tion, CNIC verification, Centralised Management Information System, Call Centre Services (Outbound) for feedback of beneficiaries, Data Hosting and allied services and Hospital Services Module.

Speaking on occasion, Nadra Chairman Tariq Malik said the authority possessed an excellent infrastructure to support the government’s reforms efforts.

He said that Nadra was a vital technology arm of the federal government that provided its digital services in various areas from service delivery to social protection programmes.

He recalled that when the World Bank’s Poverty Scorecard survey was conducted in the country, Nadra digitised it, reconciled it with the biometrics database and facilitated the compilation of the poverty database in 2012.

Under the programme, 85 million individuals or 26.3m families would have universal coverage in Punjab.

In the initial phase of the programme, underprivileged population (poor population, special persons and transgender community) in 25 districts of Punjab, and all people of 11 districts of Lahore, Dera Ghazi Khan and Sahiwal divisions will be eligible to receive healthcare facilities through Sehat Sahulat Programme.

Previously, under the state-funded health programme, Nadra facilitated more than 1.6m medical treatment in the country.

Published in Dawn, June 28th, 2022