KP Government decides to provide free of cost healthcare facilities for liver, Kidney, Bone Marrow transplants cochlear implants, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis and thalassemia
Chitral Times Report
PESHAWAR: The Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has decided to launch another initiative for high cost priority procedures and diseases in order to provide free of cost healthcare facilities to the deserving people of the province. The high cost priority procedures/diseases includes Liver, Kidney, Bone Marro transplants, cochlear implants, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis and thalassemia.
The decision was made in a meeting held here the other day with Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mahmood Khan in the chair. Additional Chief Secretary Shahab Ali Shah, Secretary Health Imtiaz Hussain Shah, Secretary Elementary & Secondary Education Yahya Akhunzada, Secretary Social Welfare Zulfiqar Ali Shah, Secretary Industries Haymun Khan, DG Health and other senior officers attended the meeting.
The meeting was briefed in detail about the modalities to be adopted for the implementation of said initiative and it was told that high cost priority procedure and diseases can be covered in Sehat Card Plus Scheme or a separate program can also be launched for the purpose. In this regard, the chief minister directed the quarters concerned to complete home work on both the options and submit final proposals for approval. Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister said that the motive behind the initiative was to provide free healthcare facilities to the deserving people adding that the provincial government would go all out to this end.
The meeting was also given briefing about the proposed Food Card Scheme for the provision of free Rashan to the vulnerable segments of the society it was told that under the scheme Rashan Package would be provided free of cost to the deserving people adding that the package would consist of essential commodities. It was added that initially different models have been prepared for the execution of said scheme while the most easy and workable one would be adopted.
Similarly, the meeting also discussed matters related to the proposed Education Card Scheme and the participants were informed that under the said scheme the provincial government would extend financial assistance to the students with low income. Various proposals were placed before the meeting which included waiver in admission fee in government schools, waiver in board examination fee, provision of free uniforms, provision of free notebooks and support in tuition fee to deserving students studying in public sector universities, colleges and madrassas.
The chief minister on the occasion directed the authorities concerned to finalize the modalities for the implementation of the said schemes within next two to three months so that they could be launched on ground. Mahmood Khan termed these schemes as important steps towards the realization of Prime Minister Imran Khan’s vision of welfare state and said that the provincial government was committed to extend maximum support to the vulnerable segments of the society. He added that the provincial government as per its promise would ensure implementation of Kissan Card, Food Card and Education Card and all available resources would be utilized in this regard.
