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LAHORE – Calling it a revolutionary step towards the establishment of a welfare state, Prime Minister Imran Khan Friday launched the distribution of national health card scheme in Punjab province enabling every family to avail medical treatment of up to Rs1 million a year at both the government and private hospitals.
“30 million families would benefit from the health insurance facility which would cost Rs 400 billion to the government”, he said while addressing the launching ceremony held at the spacious lawns of the Governor House Lahore. The prime minister also distributed Sehat Cards among the beneficiaries.
Taking credit for launching the health card, the prime minister said no government in the past could take such a bold decision of providing Rs1 million health insurance to the entire population. He termed it a step to fulfill the vision of the country’s forefathers who wanted to make it an Islamic welfare state.
“Our forefathers had dreamed of making Pakistan an Islamic welfare state but unfortunately it could not be materialised”, he said. He also commended the Punjab chief minister, the health minister and their team saying that the Punjab government had moved on this course.
“Today, the Punjab government took such a step to put the country on the course of uplifting this nation. We want to make Pakistan for which it was established. If we don’t opt that course, it will be great treachery with the Indian Muslims who had voted for it,” he remarked.
He said some leaders in the past claimed to make Pakistan an Asian Tiger which could in no way be greater than the idea of a welfare state like Madina. Citing the State of Madina as the first welfare state which fulfilled all basic responsibilities of its citizens, the prime minister said unfortunately, no such state was found in the Muslim world. The Scandinavian states, however, were close to that model. Naming Denmark, Norway and Sweden, the prime minister said that these countries did not have more resources than Pakistan but they were more prosperous by having adopted the model of a welfare state.
“A welfare state always believed in inclusive growth and had compassion for the weaker segment. Any individual or nation abiding by the teachings of Allah Almighty would get His blessings”, he observed.
The prime minister told the gathering that the time would prove that the initiative of Sehat Card, involving almost equal funding, would have far better outcomes than the Metro Buses or Orange Train.
He said all families across the province would get the Sehat Card by March and also resolved to replicate the model in Balochistan, Azad Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan.
The prime minister said the Sehat Card would lead towards the development of health infrastructure across the province as it would attract the private sector to build hospitals even in remote areas. He said the government would close down the government hospitals in far-flung areas where the doctors did not want to be posted, to save the cost.
He said the government would incentivize the private sector by allowing duty-free import of their equipment to expand the network of private hospitals.
The prime minister told the gathering that a silent revolution was in the making through the government’s initiative of housing construction loans by banks for the salaried class after the government removed all the impediments.
He said the people had applied for loans worth Rs 260 billion out of which Rs 110 billion worth loans had been approved and Rs 34 billion disbursed already.
He said under the Kamyab Pakistan Program, around 2 million people had been given interest-free loans for house building. Moreover, under the same program, a loan of Rs 0.5 million was also being given to the farmers and others to establish their own businesses.
Through the Ehsaas Ration scheme, almost 54 percent of the population was being given a 30 percent subsidy on the purchase of ghee, flour and pulses. In his address, Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar said the provincial government had allocated Rs 399 billion health budget compared to Rs 169 billion from 2013-18. He said 23 big hospitals were nearing completion, the up-gradation of 158 health facilities had been completed while 78 projects were in the pipeline. He said the provincial government was spending Rs 37.5 billion on the purchase of medicines.
Moreover, he said the government would soon fulfill its commitment by filling 100,000 vacancies.
The chief minister said a new Pakistan national health card project had been launched for the Lahore division and commented that no one would have to go to London or the USA for treatment. He said the universal healthcare program was started from Sahiwal and DG Khan Divisions and announced to introduce the new Pakistan national health card in the whole of the province by March 2022.
He declared to provide free healthcare facilities to 11.5 crore people while the Punjab government would provide Rs400 billion for the national health card program. The promise of free treatment of every citizen in Punjab would be fulfilled; he added and maintained that even the developed countries are unable to give such an example. Free treatment is the right of the people as public welfare is part of the national constitution as well as the PTI’s agenda, he repeated.
The CM explained that other health projects would also be completed including the construction of 23 hospitals in different parts of the province. He said 158 hospitals and health centers had been upgraded while 91 healthcare schemes would be completed through the district development package. He pointed out that the health budget was 169 billion rupees in 2013-18 while the same has swelled to 389 billion rupees now.
More than Rs37 billion would be spent to provide free medicines in Punjab while around 35000 jobs have been given in the health sector and the promise of one lakh jobs would also be fulfilled, he said and congratulated health minister, chief secretary and health secretaries over the launch of new Pakistan national health card.
‘Action against land grabbers’
Prime Minister Imran Khan Friday directed the Punjab administration to take effective measures against the miscreants, land grabbers as well as hoarders in the province.
The prime minister in a meeting with Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar during his day-long visit to Lahore also called for taking steps for immediate and easy service delivery to the common man in the province. The meeting also marked the discussion on civil administration as well as the law and order.
Punjab Chief Secretary Kamran Ali Afzal and Inspector General Punjab Police Rao Sardar Ali also attended the meeting.
Punjab’s development budget
Prime Minister Imran Khan Friday presided over a meeting on the Punjab development budget at the Governor House.
Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar, Federal Minister for Information Chaudary Fawad Hussain, Federal Minister for Education Shafqat Mahmood, SAPM political affairs Shahbaz Gill, Minister of State for Information Farrukh Habib, provincial Finance Minister Makhdum Hashim Jawan Bakht, chief secretary Punjab and other high officials attended the meeting.
Prime Minister Imran Khan was briefed by Provincial Finance Minister Hashim Jawan Bakht that the Punjab Government had allocated largest ever development budget in history amounting to Rs. 740 billion for projects of public welfare and civic facilities.
Chairman Planning and Development Abdullah Sumbal briefed Prime Minister Imran Khan about allocation of budget and status of its utilization for ongoing development projects in education, roads and health sector of Punjab.
Prime Minister Imran Khan directed timely completion of public welfare projects while ensuring quality of service to general masses.
Prime Minister reiterated to run effective public awareness campaign about Government’s development projects.
PM inaugurates Shelter home
Prime Minister Imran Khan Friday inaugurated a shelter home on Ferozpur Road opposite Lahore General Hospital. “We are focused on the development and welfare of downtrodden segments of society”, he said while speaking on the occasion.
The Prime Minister directed the authorities concerned to ensure safe and comfortable stay of inhabitants of panahgah by taking all possible measures. “The model of Riyasat-e-Madina emphasizes much on taking care of the poor and have nots in the society”, he said. Earlier the Prime Minister was briefed that Panahgah Lahore has the bedding capacity for 80 Makes and 20 Females and is equipped with all modern civic amenities like reception, waiting area, surveillance system, proper kitchen, dining areas for males and female, filtered water, prayer area, sanitation, laundry and electricity back up facility.