Naya Pakistan Qaumi Sehat Card: 300 private hospitals empanelled, says Yasmin

LAHORE:Punjab Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid said here on Wednesday that more than 300 private sector hospitals have been empanelled for Naya Pakistan Qaumi Sehat card.

Speaking as chief guest at the Auditorium of Services Institute of Medical Sciences in an orientation session for Naya Pakistan Sehat Sahulat Card, the minister said that thousands of beds had been added to private hospitals since the introduction of the programme. Secretary Specialised Healthcare and Medical Education Department Dr Ahmed Javed Qazi, Special Secretary Ajmal Bhatti, Special Secretary Dr. Asif Tufail, Project Director PMU Amir Hussain Ghazi, SIMS Principal Professor Dr Tayyaba Wasim, Punjab Health Initiatives Management Company CEO Dr Ali Razzaq, Fatima Jinnah Medical University Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr Amir Zaman Khan, Principal Allama Iqbal Medical College Professor Arif Tajammul, Principal Ameeruddin Medical College Professor Dr Sardar Al-Farid, Services Hospital MS Dr Ehteshamul Haq, Mayo Hospital MS Dr Mohammad Iftikhar, Dental Hospital MS Dr Omar Farooqi, faculty members and staff were present in the event. Principal SIMS Dr Tayyaba Wasim presented a bouquet to the health minister.

Dr Asif Tufail shared features and facilities provided under Naya Pakistan Sehat Sahulat Card. In her speech, the minister said, "Prime Minister Imran Khan will start distribution of cards to all 31 million families in Punjab from 1st January, 2022. The purpose of today's session was to apprise Vice-Chancellors, Principals, Deans and MS about the features of the Naya Pakistan Qaumi Sehat Card.

The hospital staff must know what services are available in the programme. This card is a blessing for those living below the poverty line and for the middle class. Treatment won’t be declined to anyone in empanelled public and private hospitals. Thousands of beds were added to the system through empanelling of over 300 hospitals. Private hospitals have started upscaling of services due to the introduction of the card. In many private hospitals, 70 to 80% patients are card-holders. Prime Minister Imran Khan has facilitated people in healthcare. No negligence will be tolerated in treatment of people. This is the largest health initiative in the history of Pakistan.

She said the health department had hired more than 48,000 doctors, nurses, paramedical staff, pharmacists and male nurses over the past three years.

research centre: Dr Yasmin Rashid on Wednesday inaugurated "Silk Road Clinical Research Centre" at the University of Health Sciences (UHS). The construction of 2,400-square-foot research centre has been gifted by China's Zhifei Longcom Biopharmaceutical Company, the investigator of ZF2001 coronavirus vaccine clinical trials in Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Ecuador and Indonesia. Built at a cost of Rs30 million, the clinical research centre will be used for vaccine trials and advanced medical research. Addressing the inauguration ceremony, Dr Yasmin Rashid said universities are known for the research conducted in them.