69pc of KP population given health protection cards, KP Assembly told

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly was told on Wednesday that about 69 percent of the total population in the province had been given social health protection while more health insurance cards would be provided to all deserving people in the next five years.

Responding to a question related to the issuance of Sehat Insaf Cards and Universal Health Coverage, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Minister for Health Dr Hisham Inamullah Khan said the previous Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government had distributed 1.5 million Health Insurance Cards to those living below the poverty line.

He said another 0.8 million cards would be distributed to the poor people from March next year.

He said that Rs4,555 million had been paid to insurance companies for Sehat Insaf Cards by the last government.

The minister said the district and tehsil level hospitals would be upgraded so that the poor patients could be treated at local level and the burden on major hospitals could be reduced.

He assured the House that construction work would not be stopped at government hospitals and specialist doctors would be appointed in all hospitals.

The question raised by Muttahida Majlis Amal (MMA) Member Provincial Assembly (MPA) Inayatullah during question-hour was referred to the Standing Committee of the House after the mover insisted that the Sehat Insaf Cards did not meet the requirement of Universal Health Coverage and had not been given to the deserving people.