Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Pervez Khattak has approved the extension of Sehat Sahulat Programme (Social Health Protection Initiative) for the whole province from the next financial year.
The programme provides free quality health care facilities to the poorest strata of the population.
This was decided in a high level meeting held at Chief Minister Secretariat, Peshawar under the Chairmanship of the CM.
Chief Secretary Amjad Ali Khan, Secretary Health, Abid Majid, Secretary Finance Ali Raza Bhutta and other high ups attended the meeting. The Secretary Health while giving details of the scheme informed the meeting that the proposed programme worth Rs.1.82 billion would provide free health care services to 32% of the poorest population, around 1,166,388 households of the province which constitute 8,100,000 persons.
He elaborated that under the programme to be financed by the provincial government from its own resources, health facilities would be extended to the needy patients through Insurance Corporation in empanelled public and private hospitals in the district.
He explained that deserving patients would be registered according to the poverty index criteria set by Benazir Income Support Programme.
Similarly he informed that Rs.25,000 would be incurred on the treatments of a single deserving patient while the whole poor family would be provided Rs.1,75,000 per year for the purpose. He went on to say that the registered patients would have the choice to select either public or private hospital for treatment.
He elaborated that the health care programme, besides reducing expenditures of the poor population and generation of additional income for the public sector hospitals would also provide incentives for the health staff.
The steps, he said would increase access of the poor to quality health care, improve health status of the target of population and help reduce poverty. The mentioned programme is already been implemented in four districts of the province including Mardan, Kohat, Malakand and Chitral with the financial assistance of KFW and the provincial government.
The beneficiaries of existing programe are 21% poorest households are being facilitated under the programme. Similarly, 100,000 households including 700,000 individuals are provide health care services through State Life Insurance Corporation.
