The caretaker government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has recently released 2 billion rupees to State Life, enabling the restoration of free health facilities under the Health Card Plus program.
Health Advisor Dr. Abid Jameel has announced that an additional 2 billion rupees will be released by the government soon after Eid. The provision of healthcare facilities to the people is a top priority for the current caretaker government, as stated by Dr. Abid Jameel.
The delay in payment of dues to the insurer led to the temporary closure of the program. The Health Card Plus program has been restored on the special instructions of caretaker Chief Minister Muhammad Azam Khan.
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During the press conference addressing the closure of the free facilities under the Health Card Plus program, the Health Advisor revealed that the province owes 238 billion rupees to the federal government, causing economic difficulties. The caretaker Chief Minister has been consistently raising this issue with the federation.
Dr. Abid Jameel confirmed that the current caretaker government has no intention of discontinuing the Health Card program. Instead, they aim to enhance transparency in the program to provide the best health facilities to the people.
Dr. Abid Jameel mentioned that it is not feasible to provide 100% free facilities to the entire population of the province. He suggested limiting the program to the deserving population instead of the entire population to ease the economic difficulties of the province.
Under the Health Card Plus program, 66% of treatment facilities are being provided in private hospitals and 34% in government hospitals, he stated, adding that some non-standard hospitals that were ineligible for the facility have been given the Health Card Plus facility in the previous government.
The caretaker government is now considering taking concrete steps to ensure transparency in the program, including identifying which hospitals are eligible for the Health Card Plus program and which are not, revealed the health advisor.
11 Feb, 2025
11 Feb, 2025