Flaws in health insurance programme being fixed

LAHORE: Provincial Health Minister Khawaja Salman Rafique met CEO State Life Insurance Company Shoaib Javed Hussain in the Department of Specialised Healthcare and Medical Education.

On this occasion, Secretary Health Punjab Ali Jan Khan, CEO Punjab Health Initiative Management Company Dr Ali Razaq, COO Shamshad Ali Khan, CFO Bilal Butt, Director Procurement Mohammad Muneeb and Divisional Head SLIC Ashar and Dr Noor were present.

Provincial Minister Khawaja Salman Rafique and CEO State Life Insurance Company Shoaib Javed Hussain discussed various proposals to improve the health insurance programme. Khawaja Salman Rafique speaking on this occasion, said that the government was making further improvements in the health insurance programme. Credit goes to Nawaz Sharif for initiating the health card project. Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz wants to convey the real benefits of health insurance programme to the people. We are trying to fix the flaws in the current health insurance programme. Inshallah health insurance programme will be made beneficial for the people. After the reforms, business has started moving from the private sector to the public sector.

CEO State Life Insurance Company Shoaib Javed Hussain said that SLIC would fully cooperate with the Punjab government regarding the health insurance programme.Meanwhile, the 28th meeting of the monitoring authority of the Punjab Human Organ Transplantation Authority (PHOTA) was held in the Department of Specialised Healthcare and Medical Education under Health Minister Khawaja Salman Rafique.

Health Minister Khawaja Salman Rafique said the government wants to take Punjab Human Organ Transplantation Authority to automation. The government is increasing the capacity of Human Organ Transplantation Authority, he said and directed PHOTA to crac down on elements involved in illegal transplantation of human organs.

In the meeting, Additional Secretary Technical Dr Hafiz Shahid Latif, DG PHOTA Prof Dr Shehzad Anwar, CEO Punjab Healthcare Commission Dr Saqib Aziz, Dean Pakistan Kidney and Liver Institute Prof. Dr Faisal Saud Dar, Muhammad Asif, senior member Pakistan Medical Association Dr Izhar Chaudhry and other officers participated as monitoring authority members.

Representatives of the Department of Finance, Interior, Transplantation Authority of Pakistan, Pakistan Medical Research Council, Ophthalmologic Society of Pakistan and Pakistan Society of Gastroenterology also participated as monitoring authority members. Health Minister Khawaja Salman Rafique approved the minutes of the 27th meeting of the monitoring authority of Punjab Human Organ Transplantation Authority during the meeting.

The annual calendar of the meeting of the monitoring authority was approved during the meeting. During the meeting, in addition to the approval to form sub-executive, legal, finance, HR and procurement committees, the opening of PHOTA offices was also approved for the convenience of the people of Sialkot and Bahawalpur. During the meeting, the capacity building of the Punjab Human Organ Transplantation Authority was approved.