Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday directed the implementation of measures regarding the ongoing health-related projects on a priority basis to facilitate the common man. The Prime Minister expressed satisfaction that the Naya Pakistan National Health Card was the largest health sector program in the country’s history, while the poor and the middle class would be the biggest beneficiaries of this initiative. The health officials briefed the Premier that the health facilities are being provided at the Federal level, in Punjab and KP and a large number of people were benefiting from free healthcare facilities in both provinces. The Prime Minister was briefed that due to the effective measures taken by the government, the rate of general vaccination of citizens had increased from 66 to 76 percent, while the rate of vaccination had touched over 91 percent in Punjab, which was being recognized internationally.
The PTI government has introduced its flagship program of Naya Pakistan National Health Card in Punjab at the beginning of the current year. The Naya Pakistan national Health Card is a replica of the Sehat Card Plus initiative of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government. Presently, the whole population of KP is benefiting from this program while the PTI government has kicked off this initiative in the Capital as well as in Punjab, under which each household can get up to one million rupees free indoor treatment in the designated hospital throughout the Country. According to reports, the government of Punjab has allocated about Rs. 400 billion in respect of Naya Pakistan National Health Scheme in the province. The government has extended this enormous health insurance facility to the public in collaboration with State Life Insurance of Pakistan and intends to expand this program in other provinces if the provincial governments agree to allocate essential funds for the project from their budgets because the health sector is a provincial subject after the passage of 18th amendment. As a matter of fact, the treatment of the patient has become impossible for the poor due to unparalleled inflation in the country while the provision of free-of-cost indoor treatment by the government is a great relief to the public.
Although the PTI government had taken a great initiative in the benefit of the public, hence there is a dire need for its expansion and regularization through the inclusion of outdoor treatment in the package because over 70% of patients could not avail of the facility due to the prohibition of outdoor treatment in the program. Presently, the effective management of polio vaccination and COVID-19 management is another achievement of the government, which has earned global appreciation so far. According to reports, renowned Philanthropist and founder of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Mr. Bill Gates visited Pakistan at the invitation of Prime Minister Imran Khan recently and closely examined Pakistan’s efforts to curb infectious diseases in the country. Gates appreciated the amazing job being done by NCOC and NEOC for the eradication of the COVID-19 pandemic and Polio respectively. According to analysts, such a universal health coverage system is not available in many developed nations of the world, and the government must work for the expansion of this micro health system to all patients across the country while making it more inclusive through public participation.
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