382,000 Sehat cards distributed in Rahimyar Khan

LAHORE

Punjab Health Initiative Management Company (PHIMC), mandated for execution of the Prime Minister’s National Health Insurance Programme (PMNHIP) in the Punjab province, has distributed Pakistan Sehat cards (health insurance cards) among 75 percent of the identified beneficiary families from Rahimyar Khan within a month’s time. The total number of beneficiaries in Rahimyar Khan is 515,000. So far 382,000 health cards have been distributed.

Since the launch of Prime Minister’s health insurance programme by Punjab Health Initiative Management Company on 21st of October in district Rahimyar Khan, 260 patients have sought consultation from 17 panel hospitals. A total of 196 patients have been admitted, 118 are currently admitted and 78 patients have been discharged.

The programme was launched by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif last Friday in District Rahimyar Khan under Prime Minister’s National Health Insurance Programme (PMNHIP). The main objective of the PMNHIP programme is to improve access of the poor to good quality medical services through a micro health insurance scheme. For the province of Punjab, the PHMIC will implement the programme. An amount of Rs1.5 billion has been allocated for the Health Insurance Initiative in the current budget for PHIMC.

Punjab Health Initiative Management Company signed a contract with Ministry of National Health Services Regulation and Coordination (MoNHSR&C) in July for implementing the programme in four districts during the first phase of the programme. The Department of Specialised Healthcare and Medical Education has mandated PHIMC to execute this programme in Rahimyar Khan, Khanewal, Narowal and Sargodha for 1.28 million beneficiary families.

Both public and private healthcare facilities having 10 plus beds and provisionally licenced by Punjab Healthcare Commission are entitled include in the scheme. After enrolment in the scheme, the beneficiary will be eligible to go to any panel hospital. The State Life Insurance Corporation of Pakistan has been selected for provision of services in all districts selected for PMNHIP. The payment of premium to the insurance company for the Punjab for the provincial districts is being financed by the Punjab government. 

A PHIMC spokesperson said that the Company was working at a very fast pace to implement the health insurance scheme in the selected districts in order to provide high quality medical facilities to the poor. The success in Rahim Yar Khan is remarkable while a follow-up survey also hints that a higher rate of satisfaction, 96%, among the beneficiaries.

In the next phase from January 2017 to June 2017, three more districts will be added, benefitting a population of 1.6 million families and 11.2 million individuals belonging to poor socio-economic status. The vision is to implement this programme in 36 districts of the Punjab by the end of 2018.

Punjab Health Initiative Management Company (PHIMC) was established under Section 42 of the Companies Act, 1984 on 7th of February, 2015 after approval of Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif. The main task of the PHIMC is to execute demand side financing schemes, including pro-poor health insurance schemes in the Punjab.