Prime Minister Imran Khan's government has taken another revolutionary step towards providing health care to the poor and launched a health care program. Under Social Health Protection, the program is a flagship program of global health coverage that provides free medical care to people living below the poverty line. The program includes indoor patient care and treatment facilities but will be extended to outdoor patients in the future. Beneficiaries are selected through the Unparalleled Support Program which is verified by NADRA. According to official sources, a database on poverty will be included in the National Prosperity Survey. The first phase of the program was launched between 2016 and 2018, focusing on families living below the poverty line. Under this program, Rs. 50,000 per annum and Rs. 250,000 per annum for low cost diseases are being provided to the degraded families, out of which one of the seven priority diseases will be identified. In the first phase, the program was launched in 38 districts across the country, reaching 3.2 million families. The second phase of the program was launched in 2019. Under this program, Rs. 60,000 per family was given for diseases with low cost and Rs. 3 lakhs per family for diseases with high cost and its scope was 92. Extended to one lakh families. The program is providing facilities to needy families in backward districts of Gilgit-Baltistan, Punjab, Thar Parkar and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, including Azad Jammu and Kashmir. The National Health Card program includes patient operations, stents for heart patients, treatment of cancer patients, neurosurgical procedures, treatment of burn patients, accidental injuries, dialysis for kidney patients, intensive care. Facility and other necessary medical aid will be provided while maternity package has been provided for women. During the current financial year, the federal government is working to expand the scope of this program to 1.2 million families in Azad Jammu and Kashmir. Dr. Faisal Sultan, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister for National Health Services, said that under the Prime Minister's Universal Health Coverage Vision, the Ministry of National Health Services has assured all possible cooperation to expand the health facility program in partnership with the provinces and regions. The patient satisfaction survey showed a satisfactory rate of 97.5%. The current government has extended the health program to the tribal areas. This facility will also be available for persons with disabilities registered with NADRA. Given the importance of the program, the PTI government will expand the Health Justice Card program under the Health Facility Program across Pakistan to provide quality services to all citizens under its manifesto. Under this program, poor families are being provided free health insurance for indoor health care services. He said that after the treatment of the patients, they would be provided transportation facility for relocation.
