KP first province to provide universal health coverage: PM Imran Khan

Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday congratulated Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for being the first province in Pakistan to provide free health coverage to all of its residents under the Sehat Sahulat Programme.

The premier took to Twitter on Monday morning to laud the efforts made by the KP government with regards to providing universal health coverage to all provincial residents.

“Congratulations to KP govt for making KP first province in Pak with Universal Health Coverage for all KP-domiciled citizens. 40,000,000 residents covered with free health insurance. Free treatment upto Rs1,000,000 per family per year in over 400 govt/private hospitals across Pak,” he tweeted.

Provincial Chief Minister Mahmood Khan, while addressing a gathering in Dera Ismail Khan, said that when he had pitched the idea of providing free healthcare to the entire province to Prime Minister Imran, the latter had supported him, saying that other provinces will also follow suit if such a step is taken in KP.

CM Mahmood noted that a similar programme was being introduced in Azad Jammu and Kashmir and the prime minister had given the Punjab government a deadline as well.

“Today, big provinces are following a small province. I feel that credit [for this] goes to all of us, to myself, to the cabinet ministers and to you, the people of KP,” said Mahmood, referring to how the KP government has set an example for other provincial governments.

Being executed through Health Department in the province, the Sehat Card Plus scheme would allow over 6.5 million families and 40 million citizens of Khyber Pakhtunkwa to get free health facilities up to Rs1 million.

Last year, Prime Minister Imran Khan announced offering universal health coverage to everyone in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa through the Sehat Insaf card within a year in phases.

He said the state of Pakistan wanted to stand behind every segment of society to offer it universal health coverage and simultaneously propel the expansion of healthcare facilities in Punjab and KP. He said the availability of Sehat Insaf card to everyone would drive the private sector to set up hospitals.