Punjab Minister for Specialized Healthcare and Medical Education, Khawaja Salman Rafiq has said that after the success of Health Insurance Card Scheme in four districts of the province, this scheme is being launched in another 13 districts out of which services has already been started in District Layyah since November 2017. Khawaja Salman Rafiq, who is also the Chairman of Punjab Health Initiative Management Company (PHIMC) was presiding over a meeting of the company to review the arrangements for launching the scheme in the proposed districts. Secretary Specialized Healthcare Najam Ahmed Shah, Chief Executive PHIMC Zaheer Abbas Malik, Member Health P&D Dr. Shabana Haider, Dr. Naeem-ud-Din Mian, Senior Officers from Punjab Healthcare Commission, PITB and other departments / institutions attended the meeting.
Mr. Zaheer Ahmed Malik informed that in District Rahimyar Khan, Sargodha, Narowal and Khanewal 0.8 million families are already benefitting from this scheme and getting free of cost treatment for their family members. He also informed that enrolments of the poor families have already been started in the 13-districts which would be completed by the end of this month. He further disclosed that 56 private hospitals have been impaneled through transparent process according to the SOPs / TOR. The 13-districts where the Health Insurance Card Scheme is being introduced are included Bhakker, Hafizabad, Khushab, Mianwali, Dera Ghazi Khan, Lodhran, Muzaffargarh, Rajanpur, Bhawalnagar, Bahawalpur, Multan, Vehari and Layyah. On this occasion, the Minister Health Kh. Salman Rafiq said that government is utilizing all resources for improving the health sector to ensure quality healthcare services to the people of Punjab. He said that special attention is being paid to provide medical cover through health insurance scheme to the people of Southern Punjab, so that, no family should be deprived from the treatment on the hands of poverty.
Kh. Salman Rafiq further said that under this scheme, Health Insurance Card of Rs. 50 thousand would be given to the registered family and the amount could be enhanced up to lacks of rupees in case of any serious illness. He said that third party validation of Health Insurance Project is also being carried out. The Minister directed that arrangements should immediately be finalized to launch the scheme in the proposed districts.