Rawalpindi : Punjab Health Minister Dr Yasmeen Rashid Thursday said the government would provide health insurance cards to 7.2 million poor and needy people by this year end.
Addressing a news conference here at Rawalpindi Arts Council, she said initially, the government is going to launch health card in four districts of South Punjab including Dera Ghazi Khan, Rajanpur, Muzaffargarh and Bhawalnagar from February 22, to facilitate four million people in this region.
The minister said the basic purpose of Sehat Sahulat Card is to accommodate down trodden people of the society who cannot afford health facilities because of lack of resources.
She said through health card free of charge treatment facility worth Rs720,000 would be attained from any hospital.
She said the programme is being launched in collaboration of Pakistan State Life Insurance Department.
She said patients can avail treatment facilities of head injury, neuro sciences, cardio vascular, sugar dialysis, hepatitis, liver, HIV, angioplasty, brain surgery and cancer through this facility.
Yasmeen said the residents of Rawalpindi, Nankana, Jhang and Attock districts would avail this facility from first week of April this year.
She revealed that the government has paid Rs3.80 billion as first instalment in this regard so that people can be facilitated as soon as possible.
She said the cards would be distributed among deserving persons irrespective of their political affiliation.
Sharing further details, she said in case of non-availability of treatment facilities at public hospitals, the patients would be able to get treatment from private health outlets. She said about 40 to 45 per cent population lived below poverty line and 30 per cent residents of Punjab consulted public hospitals in case of any health issue.
Yasmeen further disclosed that in case of death of the card holder patient, the expenditures for his burial would be borne by the government while any injured labourer would get his three days salary, Rs1,000 travelling cost and free meals at the hospital. She said the cards distributed by the PML-N and PPP were fake as the previous governments had failed to offer healthcare facilities to the people despite making tall claims.