The government will roll out health cards in Punjab from January 2022, says the prime minister
LAHORE: Prime Minister Imran Khan Monday vowed that all families in Punjab will get the 'Naya Pakistan Health Card' by March 2022.
Addressing the launch ceremony of the government's Naya Pakistan Health Card initiative in Lahore, PM Imran said that the government will roll out health cards in Punjab from January 2022.
PM Imran said that in order to please God, one has to serve mankind and added that "most people are unaware of the concept of Riyasat-e-Madina, or the Islamic welfare state."
Underscoring the need for the modern and state-of-the-art medical infrastructure in the country, the PM said that when his mother was diagnosed with cancer, his family had to take her abroad for treatment.
He said that the event pushed him to establish a cancer hospital in Pakistan where people, especially the poor, could go for treatment free of charge.
The prime minister said that the country is required to spend Rs100 million per year to run the health system. He also promised that by March 2022, all families in Punjab will have access to health cards.
"The Naya Pakistan Health Card is not merely a form of health insurance but represents an entire health system," he said.
The premier went on to praise his government's policy of imposing smart and micro-smart lockdowns as opposed to a full-fledged lockdown during the coronavirus pandemic and said that the entire world praised Pakistan for that.
However, he added, the Opposition continued to criticise his government.