Prime Minister Imran Khan today congratulated the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government for making the province the first to receive universal health coverage through the Insaf Sehat Cards facility. Under this system, 40 million people will receive free healthcare of upto Rs 1 million every year, in more than 400 public and private hospitals.
“Congratulations to KP govt for making KP first province in Pak with Universal Health Coverage for all KP-domiciled citizens,” the Prime Minister tweeted. “40,000,000 residents covered with free health insurance. Free treatment upto Rs 1,000,000 per family per year in over 400 govt/private hospitals across Pak.”
Finance and Health Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa termed the achievement “one big step towards PM [Imran Khan]’s promise of a welfare state.”
“With today’s launch in the South, anyone from KP, from Chitral to DI Khan; each of 40 mln KP residents have universal health cover, the first province to attain this milestone,” the minister tweeted.
On Sunday night, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Chief Minister Mahmood Khan had lauded the achievement as a “big move towards achieving the dream of [a] welfare state on pattern of Riasat-i-Madina as envisioned by Imran Khan.”
This programme was launched by the Prime Minister in August last year, when he also promised to extend the facility to Punjab, where the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf is in governance. In a press conference today, Provincial Minister of Punjab for Healthcare Dr Yasmin Rashid announced that Punjab would be provided universal health coverage by the end of 2021.
