Adviser to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister for Health Services, Dr Abid Jamil Thursday said that treatment under Sehat Card Plus programme has been restored in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa after successful negotiations with the State Life Insurance Corporation of Pakistan.
Addressing a press conference in Peshawar, Dr Abid Jamil said that the caretaker government has released Rs2 billion to State Life and another Rs2 billion would be released after Eidul Fitr. He said the past government started the project in haste and without proper homework to ensure its financial sustainability which resulted in an increase in the premium amount to a significant level besides creating a lot of financial problems for the caretaker government.
Abid Jamil said there was hardly any country in the world where free treatment was being provided to the entire population and taxpayers’ money was being spent on the treatment of influential and wealthy patients. He clarified that the program was not being closed and would continue. He said the Sehat Card Plus program would be rationalized and a high-level policy board comprising members of the healthcare commission, health department and relevant organizations would be constituted to approve penal hospitals after evaluating their services, equipment and doctors’ strength.
He said recommendations of the policy board would be tabled before the cabinet for approval. He said efforts would be made to provide free of charge treatment under Sehat Card to poor people and exclude wealthy people. Chief Executive Officer, Sehat Cards Plus, Dr Riaz Tanoli said that out of Rs33.4 billion arrears, Rs19 billion were paid to the state life insurance corporation and Rs14 billion were still outstanding arrears that would be cleared soon after receiving the tranche amount from the Federal Government.
Abid Jamil said that Rs238 billion were expected to be received from Federal Government soon that would help address financial problems of Medical Teaching Institutions and Sehat Card Plus. He said 66 percent treatment under Sehat Card was made through private hospitals and 33 percent in government hospitals, adding district headquarters hospitals would be strengthened for extending full health coverage to patients at their doorsteps.
To a question, Riaz Tanoli said that sehat card program has been protected under law by the provincial assembly and amendment through an elected assembly would be required to make any significant changes or take policy decisions.
To a question, Dr Tanoli said that treatment was being made in the panel hospitals with complete evidence through a comprehensive monitoring and evaluation system.
