29.3m families of Punjab to be provided universal health coverage by Dec 21

LAHORE: Dr Yasmin Rashid, Health Minister, Punjab, recently joined a video link session to review the sustainability and institutionalization of the Sehat Sahulat Program at the Specialized Healthcare and Medical Education Department here.

Dr Faisal Sultan, Special Assistant to Prime Minister, also discussed sustainability measures for the program. 

Dr Asif Tufail, Dr Ali Razzaq, Federal Parliamentary Secretary Dr Nousheen Hamid, Hasnat Ahmed, Mohammad Munib, Professor Javed Chaudhry, Additional Secretary Development, Specialized Healthcare & Medical Education Department (SH&ME), were in attendance. Also present were representatives of the Federal Areas, Azad Jammu & Kashmir, Gilgit Baltistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh Balochistan, NCOC, and Northern areas. The participants reviewed the long term sustainability of the program. 

The Health Minister said, “The government has started the initiative to provide medical cover to people. As per directions from Prime Minister Imran Khan, we are working to provide healthcare services on priority. All 29.3 million families of Punjab shall be offered universal health coverage by December 2021. Health insurance services were provided to residents of DG Khan and Sahiwal divisions previously. The institutionalization and sustainability measures for the Sehat Sahulat program are praiseworthy. It is the responsibility of the state to look after its citizens. We cannot realize the dream of Riyasat-e-Madina without providing genuine relief to the everyday person.  Prime Minister Imran Khan wants to make things easier for the everyday person. “