The much-touted Balochistan Health Card Programme has been placed on the agenda of the next cabinet meeting for approval.
Baloch people will be able to receive free medical treatment as the government has announced to approve of the health cards initiative at the next cabinet meeting. The government would issue health cards to every family as part of the programme to ensure universal medical coverage.
In an interview with the media, a local resident, Baz Gul Kakar, urged the provincial government to launch the programme as soon as possible and provide the best health services to the poor and flood-affected people in public and private sector hospitals.
The prevailing torrential rains and heavy floods have disrupted people’s normal lives, he said, adding that they suffer from chronic diseases and are unable to receive free treatment in public and private sector hospitals. Previously, the provincial government decided to launch the Balochistan Health Card facility at a cost of Rs5.914 billion in order to provide health insurance coverage of Rs1 million to 1.875 million families.
It is to be noted that a major proportion of Pakistan’s population, particularly in Balochistan, lives in poverty, and this group is vulnerable to a variety of risks. Health risks pose the most serious threat to their lives and livelihoods of all the risks. A health emergency increases the burden of health expenditures on the poor at a time when they can least afford it.
According to the sources, public and private hospitals will provide healthcare services to beneficiaries. The insurance company will conduct a basic hospital assessment of the available public and private healthcare facilities in each district. A short list of hospitals would be created based on the set criteria.
All public hospitals that meet the basic criterion will be empanelled, whereas among the private hospitals on the shortlist, a detailed assessment criterion will be used, and a final list of hospitals will be produced, taking into account the number of tehsils in the district concerned and the total number of enrolled beneficiary families.