Peshawar   -   A meeting regarding the Sehat Card program was held under the chairmanship of Advisor to Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for Health Ihtesham Ali, with the participation of Dr Riaz Tanoli, CEO of the Sehat Card program, Fayyaz Noor from State Life Insurance Company, and other relevant officials.

During the meeting, the Health Advisor commented on the ongoing survey related to hospital empanelment under the Sehat Card initiative, stating that hospitals failing to meet the required criteria should be immediately disqualified. He stressed that continuous monitoring of empaneled hospitals is the only way to ensure access to quality healthcare.

The Health Advisor was informed that the portal for hospital empanelment under the Sehat Card was opened on July 1st, with 173 hospitals submitting online applications. So far, 90% of the hospital assessments across the province have been completed. CEO Dr Riaz Tanoli mentioned that the final list of empaneled hospitals will be ready by next week, pending approval by the Policy Board. Hospitals must pass through both a desk and physical assessment before being empaneled. During the desk assessment, 22 healthcare facilities have been disqualified.

It was further communicated that the application fee for secondary care hospitals has been set at PKR 100,000, while tertiary care hospitals need to pay PKR 500,000. Assessment of 15 hospitals, including those in the tribal districts of North and South Waziristan and Kurram, is still pending.

According to the available data, assessments have been completed for 43 hospitals in the Hazara region, 67 in Malakand, 64 in Mardan, 19 in the southern districts, and 45 in the central districts. A total of 253 hospitals are planned to be empaneled under the Sehat Card this year, including 151 new hospitals and 103 already existing ones under review.

Meanwhile, Director General of Health Services, Dr Saleem, announced that the Health Department Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has intensified its dengue control activities at all levels, with a comprehensive Dengue Action Plan now entering its next phase.

This phase sees the Health Department, in collaboration with all relevant line departments, speeding up anti-dengue operations. Dr Saleem emphasized that five affected districts, including Peshawar, Kohat, Nowshera, Abbottabad, and Mansehra, are being targeted with intensive efforts to limit the spread of dengue. Special teams are conducting dengue spray operations during dawn and dusk, the peak times for mosquito activity. Alongside these efforts, awareness campaigns and larvicide operations are being actively carried out to educate the public and eliminate dengue larvae. Effective surveillance systems have been established to monitor dengue trends and identify hotspots, ensuring timely diagnosis and control measures in hospitals.

Updating on the latest dengue situation, Dr Saleem stated that there are currently only 390 active dengue cases in the province, with just 21 patients admitted to hospitals. He assured that all necessary facilities are available in hospitals, and so far, a total of 1,002 dengue cases have been reported in the province, out of which 612 patients have fully recovered. Timely treatment is being ensured to prevent any complications from the disease.

In the past 24 hours, 98 new dengue cases were reported. So far, Peshawar reported 286 cases, and Abbottabad reported 121 cases. Anti-dengue operations are being rapidly conducted across the province. The public is urged to follow preventive measures to safeguard themselves and their families.