ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan Wednesday said that system of universal health insurance is the biggest step taken by the federal and provincial governments with issuance of a health card to each family with a treatment facility of up to Rs1 million in the country.
Addressing the health card issuance ceremony on Wednesday, Prime Minister Khan said that the federal and provincial governments have taken this big step as health card is not just a card but a complete system of universal health insurance.
He said that hospitals will be set up at district level under this system. The prime minister said that after the health system, we will also focus on the education system.
He said that this system would put pressure on government hospitals and private hospital would go to the rural areas.
The prime minister said that Punjab government is opening five mother and child hospitals in remote areas of the province. He said that he has seen the UK health system very closely and was very impressed by it because any citizen can go to a government hospital for treatment. He said that this program goes beyond the UK health program, as anyone not only in government hospital but can also get treatment in a private hospital.
The premier said that there is hardly a country in the world where such a program has been launched. He said that he has seen the decline of government hospitals.
Health card will prove to be a defining moment for Pakistan: PM Imran
The prime minister said that he had seen gradual decline of government hospitals and the destitute the ordinary people used to go to government hospitals where no one was paying them any attention.
He further stated that the doctors do not go to district hospitals to treat people and patients from Mianwali have to come to Rawalpindi. There was no health facility for the people of remote areas and the system was catering to the elite.
He said that the poor man was suffering because in the prevalent system money is required for good treatment. The prime minister said that this country was created for the purpose that the Muslims of India had voted for Pakistan for an ideal, a true Islamic state. He said that Allama Iqbal’s dream was to become an exemplary nation for the world on the model of State of Medina.
He also referred to Shaukat Khanum Hospital. He said he decided to construct the hospital after knowing in Britain how expensive was the treatment of cancer. He said that Rs450 billion is being spent on this health insurance.
He said that Chief Minister Usman Buzdar himself is from the most backward area of Punjab, so he is aware of the plight of the people but was being targeted from the day he became chief minister. He said that a campaign was launched against Usman Buzdar and he was targeted but survey result showed he is number one chief minister of Pakistan.
He said that previous chief minister was going abroad for even cough treatment.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022
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