QUETTA:The much trumpeted Balochistan Health Card programme has been placed in the next cabinet meeting’s agenda for approval.
The people of Balochistan would avail free medical treatment facility as the government has decided to approve the health cards initiative in the next cabinet meeting.
Under the programme, the government would provide health cards to every family to ensure universal coverage of the initiative.
Talking to reporter, Baz Gul Kakar urged the provincial government to launch the programme on an emergency basis and provide best healthcare facilities to the poor and flood-affected masses in public and private sector hospitals.
As the current torrential rains and heavy floods have affected the normal life of the masses, he said, people suffering from chronic diseases are unable to get free treatment in the public and private sector hospitals across the country.
The provincial government had decided to launch Balochistan Health Card facility at the cost of Rs 5.914 billion, to provide health insurance facilities amounting to Rs 1 million to 1.875 million families.
According to programme, the Computerized National Identity Card (CNIC) will be considered the health card for the permanent residents of the province.
The objective of the program was to improve the health status of the targeted population through increasing access to quality health services and to reduce poverty through reduction of out-of-pocket payments for health expenditures.
“Currently over 1.8 million families are settled in Balochistan and there will be 100 per cent coverage under the initiative and the scheme would be funded by regular budget in the future,” according to the programme.
In the supposed programme, healthcare services to the beneficiaries will be provided in public and private hospitals and more than five to six hundred hospitals all over the country would be on the panel.