Insurance company takes decision after govt assures payment of Rs6 billion. The State Life Insurance Company has withdrawn its decision of stopping free treatment on Sehat Insaf Card across Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa hours after announcement.
Government assured the company a payment of Rs6 billion by next Friday after which the free treatment was restored. Earlier on Saturday the insurance company announced ending free treatment facility across the province due to non-payment of dues by the K-P’s provincial government. Official sources told the media that the provincial government has paid Rs13 billion to the company since March but still it has to clear the Rs18 billion dues.
When the government failed to pay Rs5 billion as promised, the insurance company stopped free treatment.
It has also been decided that the Advisor to Chief Minister on Finance Muzamal Aslam and health minister will hold a detailed meeting with the company in this regard.
Government has promised to pay Rs3 billion per month but it is seldom fulfilled. In March this year, K-P government announced fully restoring the free treatment facility on Sehat Insaf Card across the province after the interim government greatly reduced it due to lack of funds. Provincial Health Minister, Syed Qasim Ali Shah addressed a press conference regarding the reactivation of free healthcare services under the Health Card Plus initiative for the people of the province.
The Provincial Minister shared that the Health Card initiative began in 2015, initially covering four districts of the province. By 2020, the scheme had expanded to cover the entire province, with an annual expenditure of Rs18 billion.
The Health Minister, along with Chief Executive Sehat Sahulat Program, Dr Riaz Tanoli and Program Director Dr Ijaz, provided updates on the ongoing efforts. Praising the successful implementation of Health Card services in K-P, Minister Shah stated that 1,800 different medical treatments are now available for free in 118 public and private hospitals catering to various specialties across the province.
This reflects a fulfillment of ex-Prime Minister Imran Khan’s vision, which has been rejuvenated, and currently, an average of Rs3 billion is spent monthly on the Health Card.
Furthermore, the Minister announced the reopening of counters for Health Cards at hospitals, with the government allocating an additional Rs5 billion to the insurance company for this purpose. He revealed that the previous government’s discontinuation of the Health Card during its tenure adversely affected the economically disadvantaged citizens.
The Minister emphasised that the Health Card is not a temporary but a long-term project. Under the leadership of Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, K-P province will witness new horizons of development. The Health Department has issued a list of hospitals available on the Health Card Program’s panel, providing free treatment facilities in 118 hospitals. Minister Shah assured that the current challenges, including over-billing and irregularities, are being addressed by restricting certain operational procedures in government hospitals.
