Staff Reporter Peshawar
The patients of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have started benefiting from PTI Government landmark Sehat Card Plus Program where over 52,000 get free treatment from November 1, 2020 to February 14, 2021.
The load of patients in public and private empanelled hospitals of the Sehat Card plus program were increased in KP where over 52,000 residents were benefited during the said period, an official in KP health department told media on Sunday.
KP has become the first ever province of Pakistan where entire population was insured and Rs one million health insurance to each family covering over 40 million population were provided under universal health coverage (UHC) through Sehat Plus Card (SPC).
From Chitral to DI Khan, all districts have been included in domain of UHC in KP where more than 400 government and private hospitals were placed in the panel list of SPC Program.
Implementation of free healthcare facilities to millions of its people is among one of the responsibilities of any government and basic right of individuals for which they pay the taxes.
The people despite tall claims of previous regimes, were denied of their basic health right in the past and were left at the mercy of private hospitals, clinics and laboratories to save their loved ones while selling their properties, residential plots and dowery amount of their daughters or taking loans at high interest rates to avail the expensive treatment of several fatal diseases including cancers, kidney and heart ailments.
Keeping in view of the hardships of people, the PTI Government took health sector as a challenge and introduced massive reforms in this key sector to ensure free and quality medical, surgical and diagnostic treatment facilities to millions of its people in public sector hospitals of KP.
Treatment facilities in over 400 empaneled public and private healthcare facilities were started following successful completion of the third and final phase of SPC for seven southern districts of KP inaugurated by Chief Minister Khyber Pakthunkhwa, Mahmood Khan, Federal Minister for Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan Affairs, Ali Amin Gandapur and KP Minister for Health Taimur Salim Jhagra in DI Khan on February 1, 2021.
