Chief Minister of the region Haji Gulbar Khan has approached to the Prime Minister of Pakistan Mian Muhammad Shabaz Sharif through a letter regarding the restoration of universalinsurance (Health Cards) facility to the people belonging to the region. According to a press resale, Federal government had extended the facility of health insurance to the region during the month of February 2022 and this act of federal government was appreciated by the people of the area because due to lack of resources ,it was not possible for the people to get the required medical treatment. It was also pointed out in the letter that the facility of health insurance was suspended in the month of December 2023 due to which people of the area were facing hardship and it was urged in the letter addressed to the PM that the universal health insurance facility be restored forthwith, so that the people belonging to the area may be able to avail the said facility and get the required medical treatment with-out any hindrance. Earlier, Assembly of the region had also passed a unanimous resolution for restoration of health cards facility to the people of the area.
After the extension of universal health insurance (Health Cards) facility to the region by the federal government, people of the area were authorized to get the medical facility up-to 10 lac rupees free of cost as and when required from any government or private hospital of their choice and this amount was required to be paid by the government of the area to the respective hospitals, but this facility was stopped/suspended by the federal government few months ago and resultantly people of the area are un-able to avail the said facility and facing hardships in getting required medical treatment. It is pertinent to mention here that earlier health minister of the regional government had claimed about the approval of revised health programme amounting to 175 billion rupees by the ECC and Health Cards facility would be available to the people of the area very soon, but the said facility was not yet available to the people. Where-as during the recent session of regional Assembly, a resolution was also passed by the Assembly in which it was urged to the quarters concern of the federal government for restoration of health cards facility to the people of the area, which was appreciated in these pages with the plea that due to lack of proper health facilities in the region, people of the area have to travel to the other parts of the country to get the required medical treatment and availing of health cards facility was good option for the people generally and especially for the people of low income. Now the Chief Minister of the region Haji Gulbar Khan has approached to the Prime Minister of Pakistan through a letter for restoration of health cards facility to the people of the region, which was applicable step on the part of Chief Minister of the area and it could be expected from the federal government that it would restore the universal health insurance facility to the people of the area.We would urge to the Prime Minister MianShahbaz Sharif to consider the letter written by the Chief Minister of the area about therestorationof universal health insurance facility to the people of the area