JUST like Ehsaas Programme, Sehat Insaf Card is a very significant initiative launched by the present government that deserves recognition and appreciation for the change it is already bringing in the life of the people.
There are certain ailments, the treatment of which is beyond the reach of the poor and lower middle class.
Even the middle class cannot afford the treatment of diseases such as cardiovascular, cancer, kidney, etc.
The people, however, are no longer to worry about it as through Sehat Insaf Card, they can avail the treatment for all the major diseases not only in the public but also the private sector hospitals up to Rs 720,000. An additional Rs 300,000 is given to the deserving families if needed.
All the households in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have already been provided with the health cards whilst in Punjab, the target is to reach every household by the end of this year.
This indeed will be a milestone achievement and a huge step forward to make Pakistan a truly welfare state.
Prime Minister Imran Khan really deserves appreciation for envisaging this mega safety net program.
Special Assistant on National Health Services Dr Faisal Sultan and provincial governments of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab also deserve acknowledgement for sparing no effort to implement this programme on a fast track basis.
We understand this initiative will also go a long way in improving health facilities even in small towns and cities as the private sector will invest in building hospitals so that they could provide treatment facilities to the health card holders.
It, however, must be ensured that no deserving family is left out. Especially in the rural areas, most of the people do not care to get the national identity cards.
Here the responsibility rests with the PTI volunteer force to identify such people in their areas and help them acquire the CNICs so that they could also benefit from this scheme.
Then most importantly, currently this scheme is only for indoor treatment but there are certain ailments for which the patient has to take medicines throughout his/her life.
Hence, a mechanism needs to be evolved so that the poor households can also get free of cost medicine.
