Peshawar   -  Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Ali Amin Gandapur on Monday chaired a meeting on Sehat Card programme held at Chief Minister’s Secretariat Peshawar and took important decisions aimed at improving healthcare accessibility in the province.

The Chief Minister decided in principle to include ‘life insurance’ in Sehat Card Plus and directed the relevant authorities to come up with a viable plan to this end as early as possible.

Advisor to CM for Health Ahtisham Ali, Advisor Finance Muzzamil Aslam, Additional Chief Secretary Planning and Development Ikram Ullah Khan, High ups of Health Department and State Life Insurance Corporation (SLIC) attended the meeting.

In the meeting, an extensive discussion was made on various matters related to further streamlining the Sehat Card Plus. During the meeting, the Chief Minister also took notice of the complaints regarding suspension of cardiac surgeries at Peshawar Institute of Cardiology (PIC) under Sehat Card Plus, due to existing rates and directed the concerned authorities to make sure resumption of cardiac surgeries at PIC under Sehat Card and said that the provincial government would also bear the additional expenses of the cardiac procedures ensuring that no burden is placed on the patients.

He also directed the relevant quarters to ensure that patients should not face any difficulties in getting treatment under the free health care facility.

Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur termed Sehat Card Plus as a flag initiative of the Pakistan Tehreek -E-Insaf government and said that the incumbent provincial would go all-out to make it more inclusive by covering treatment of remaining diseases and ensuring transparency and accountability. He added that Sehat card was not only an initiative but a complete package of social protection.

He announced that, keeping in view needs of the citizens, hospitals with good reputation would also be added to the Sehat Card Panel, ensuring that people in remote areas also have access to free and quality health care services at their doorsteps.

Addressing the participants, Gandapur stated that the incumbent provincial government since its inception had been making payments to State Life Insurance Corporation for Sehat Card Plus on priority, and there should be no obstruction in providing free health care facilities to the patients under cashless facility.