PESHAWAR - The Khyber Pakthunkhwa government has decided to launch social health protection (SHP) programme to provide health insurance cover to the poor and marginalised segments of the society, besides starting a dengue control and prevention project to help mitigate sufferings of the ailing humanity.
Official sources in Health Department told this news agency on Sunday that the first phase of the programme would be launched with the assistance of German government in Chitral, Malakand, Kohat and Mardan districts to provide health insurance cover to needy people of these areas at their doorsteps. Later on, this prgoramme would be extended to other districts of the province.
The beneficiary patients of this scheme would get quality treatment in the top hospitals of the province and the country.
To combat polio and other viral diseases, he said, the health department will take special initiatives for strengthening of immunization services with the assistance of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and Promoting Safe Motherhood Programme (PSMP).
Being a high priority sector, the official said, the government was endeavouring to provide modern and vibrant healthcare system to people and the new development portfolio is specially designed in consonance with global indicators of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The official said preventive programmes for EPI, TB, AIDS, rollback malaria, hepatitis, thalassaemia and blood transfusion services will persist to reduce the risks of communicable diseases.
In fiscal year 2012-13, emphasis would be made upon completion of ongoing and initiating new physical infrastructure projects, provisions of medicines and equipments to the completed and deficient health outlets, procurement of ambulances, establishment of Accident and Emergency Departments and Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Shaheed Medical College.
The government has earmarked Rs 7575.100 million for 89 projects out of which 73 are ongoing and 16 are new in the budget. III Category-C and 9 Category-D hospitals would be completed while machinery and equipments would be purchased for 4 Category-C and 4 Category-D hospitals in fiscal year 2012-13.
Likewise, 228-bed women and children hospital would be completed in Peshawar while seven ambulances would be procured for teaching hospitals.
Fourteen thousand vaccines would be provided for free treatment of Hepatitis-B and C patients while 800 poor cancer patients will get free treatment. A project for prevention and control of Dengue virus will be launched in the province to protect people from the possible outbreak of the epidemic that brought havoc in Lahore last year.
In fiscal year 2011-12, Rs 6752.798 million was allocated for 122 projects out of which 37 projects were completed. Three District Headquarters Hospitals (DHQ) in Charsadda, D.I.Khan and Tank districts have been completed in addition to construction of 3 Category-C hospitals in Chakdarra, Takht Bhai and Shabqaddar while five Basic Health Units were upgraded to Rural Health Centers.
7767 vaccines were procured for treatment of Hepatitis-B&C patients while 487 cancer patients were provided free treatment.
Meanwhile, the Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has decided to delegate the prerogative of receiving General Sales Tax (GST) on Services again to the federal government.
The provincial governments who have excused from receiving GST on services have the stance that the provinces do not have the capacity of receiving GST.
Now Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has the powers of receipt of GST on Services.
After the 18th amendment, the powers of receiving GST on Services were assigned to the four provincial governments.
Excise department was being asked to receive GST imposed on services, and the excise department had hired staff for this purpose.
However, sources from finance department said three provincial governments including the government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa pardoned from receiving GST on Services.
According to the budget of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa approved for the year 2012-13, the provincial government was expecting to receive Rupees 9,98,6394000 on account of GST on Services, however, it will face a deficit after its excuse to receive the GST. FBR will also provide a certain share of its receipts from the GST on services to the provincial government.