Health Card was launched by PMLN, PA told

LAHORE: Health Minister Khawaja Salman Rafique on Friday told Punjab Assembly that the government had planned to enhance the budget of Health Cards to facilitate the poor.

Speaking on the floor of Punjab Assembly during the question hour session related to Specialised Health Care, the minister stated that then Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif chaired the meeting regarding the Health Card scheme in the year 2014. After that meeting, the minister told that in district Rahim Yar Khan, the PMLN government launched the project of Health Cards and later, he said as the Health Minister, he also headed a company.

Salman Rafique stated that PMLN launched this project in various districts. He said the government had facilitated people from all classes through this scheme and now, PMLN wanted to enhance the amount of money in this project from Rs1 million to Rs2 million. He also said the government had also expanded the network in this scheme and brought more private hospitals to its panel. During the question hour session, when Opposition criticised the PMLN leadership, Salman Rafique stated it was better to remain related to the question hour or he would also discuss issues like Tosha Khana watch controversy. He said he himself had been imprisoned during PTI era along with his brother.

Nadeem Qureshi, the Opposition MPA, on the occasion stated that to mint Commission, rather than installation of equipment, focus was paid towards renovation and fixing of tiles, doors, roofs etc. He asked why the hospital were being decorated with tiles and demanded the government facilitate the patients rather than equipment.

While responding to this Khawaja Salman Rafique stated that tiles, paints and other renovation work of hospital was done through a different budget. Salman stated the government was equipping the hospitals with CT Scan machines, ventilators etc. He also said the presence of senior doctors had strictly been ensured in the teaching hospitals in the time of emergency. He also stated if the doctors serving in the hospital were not hired through a contact, they would be paid per patient.

Opposition MPA Rana Aftab Ahmad Khan on the occasion stated that members of the House had not been able to get medicines for last two months over which Deputy Speaker Zaheer Iqbal Channar warned that action would be taken if the issue was not addressed.