Contract inked for provision of Sehat Insaf Card to 15m families

Islamabad: The Ministry of Health Wednesday signed a contract with State Life Insurance Corporation of Pakistan for implementation of the Sehat Sahulat Programme (SSP) in all districts of Pakistan.

The contract was signed by Secretary Health Zahid Saeed and Chairman of the State Life Insurance Corporation in the presence of Minister for Health Aamer Mehmood Kiani. Through this initiative, poor families will get free health insurance to secure indoor healthcare services worth Rs. 720,000 from empanelled hospitals. The programme will provide ‘Sehat Insaf Cards’ to 15 million families in Punjab, Balochistan, Sindh, AJK, GB and old districts of FATA through a transparent and computerized mechanism.

Services available from the Sehat Insaf Card include open heart surgeries, insertion of stents, management of cancer, neurosurgical procures, burn management, accident management, dialysis, intensive care management, deliveries, C-section and other medical and surgical procedures. The programme will also provide transportation costs of Rs. 1,000 to its beneficiaries on their discharge from hospital.

An estimated 15 million Pakistani families below the poverty line will benefit from this scheme. ostrich farming: A one day 5th national training on Commercial Ostrich Farming was held at Pir Mehr Ali Shah Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi (PMAS-AAUR, here on Tuesday, with an aim to provide technical knowledge as well as expertise for health and diseases, handling, management and marketing of ostrich meat and its by-products. The training also covered various techniques that can result in enhanced meat yield and high livability at the young age under local farm environment.

Vice Chancellor, PMAS-AAUR, Prof. Dr Nadeem Akhtar Abbasi was the chief guest while deans, directors and ostrich farmers attended the inaugural session. Over twenty five Ostrich farmers from all over the Pakistan participated and got training on handling, restarting of ostrich, rearing of ostrich chicks for meat, skin & feather production, medication & vaccination and for the successful ostrich production for meat and eggs with reference to health issues. Dr. Abbasi, while addressing said, Pakistan has the most favorable environment for Ostrich Farming and said, “Ostrich farming is the only way out to overcome the shortage of meat in the country.” He said, there is dire need to awake the awareness and importance of ostrich farming. He referred it as the farm of future because of high profit potential and a favourable source of foreign earnings.

He urged the veterinary researchers to resolve the issues regarding ostrich farming for its expansion at national levels and enhancement of ostrich production to cope with the future challenges. Shahid Sajjad, Director Livestock and Dairy Development, Prof. Dr. Arfan Yousaf, Dean Faculty of Veterinary & Animal Sciences, Dr. Nasir Mukhtar, Dr. Tanveer Ahmed also addressed the participants. They briefed about the handling, breeding, quality evaluation and causes of early chick Mortality, discussed ostrich general physiology and also guided on nutrition problems.

APP adds: Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) on Wednesday declared final results of its Arabic Teacher Training Course (ATTC), Primary Teaching Certificate (PTC) and Certificate of Teaching (CT). According to the Controller Exams, the exams were held in Semester Spring, 2018. The results have been placed at the University’s Website. Intimation cards are also being sent to all the concerned students at their postal address.

Result of SSC programme is expected to be announced next week. The results of FA,BA and B.Ed programmes would also be declared by the middle of February.