Health Card Programme launched in Balochistan finally; over 2.3 million families to get free medical facilities

Independent Report

QUETTA: The much-awaited and ambitious Health Card Programme has been launched by the interim government in Balochistan finally.
The caretaker Chief Minister, Mir Ali Mardan Khan Domki formally inaugurated the programme at the Chief Minister’s secretariat here on Friday morning.
Over 2.3 million families having computerized national identity cards (CNICs) with permanent residence of the province would benefit from the programme.
The families would get free treatment for different diseases at over 1200 public and private hospitals all over the province.
The launching ceremony was attended by the caretaker Minister for Health, Dr. Amir Muhammad Khan Jogezai, Minister Information, Jan Achakzai besides other members of the interim provincial cabinet and advisors to the Chief Minister, Chief Secretary, Shakeel Qadir Khan, Inspector General of Police, Abdul Khaliq Sheikh, administrative secretaries of the provincial government departments and other concerned high ups and government functionaries.
Addressing the launching ceremony, Chief Minister said that the provincial government decided to provide free medical treatment facilities to all citizens of the province through the Health Cards.
He announced free medical treatment for the general public belonging to the province.
He said that the treatment of the CNIC holder citizens of the province would be done from over 1200 hospitals on the panel under Health Card Programme.
He said that the patients would get treatment immediately by visiting any government or private hospital on panel under the Health Card Programme.
Mir Ali Mardan Domki said that it would be ensured to take care of self-respect and ego of the patients besides providing them free medical treatment to them.
The Chief Minister on the occasion vowed to protect life and property of the masses as well as their other basic rights of education and health.
He also reiterated his government’s resolve to play wholehearted part for making the exemplary Health Card Programme great success.
Earlier, the caretaker Provincial Minister for Health, Dr. Amir Muhammad Jogezai and Chief Secretary Shakeel Qadir Khan, Secretary Health, Abdullah Khan, Chief Executive of Health Card Programme, Asadullah Kakar, Chief Executive Officer of State Life Insurance Corporation,, Shoaib Javed Hussain and Director General NADRA, Azrak Khan also addressed the launching ceremony of Health Cards.
The Minister Health said that everyone can’t bear the expenditures of medical treatment in the present era.
He said that more than 1200 hospitals have been included in the Health Card programme. The hospitals operating in Quetta and Gwadar are also included in the programme, adding he mentioned.
The Minister Health said that millions of people would benefit from the Health Card facility in the province.
Speaking on the occasion, Chief Secretary said that the annual health budget of Balochistan is around Rs. 50 billion. However, most of the amount allocated in budget is spent on the salaries of employees, he added.
He said that people of the province are not satisfied with performance of the health sector.
He said that although the Health Card programme is being launched in the end, however, it is not the last initiative.
He said that the people would have choice and facilities for treatment under the programme.