Sehat Card Program Gets Suspended in KP Province – Sources Confirmed

Bad news for the residents of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as the largely applauded Sehat Card scheme has been halted. The State Life Insurance Corporation (SLIC) has temporarily suspended new admissions for free medical treatment of patients under the Sehat Card Plus program in the province due to the provincial government’s non-payment of dues.

SLIC, which is responsible for implementing the free health initiative, has instructed the hospitals enlisted in the program to refrain from admitting new patients until further notice.  Nevertheless, hospitals will continue to provide treatment to patients who are already admitted. The health desks for the Sehat Card Plus program at the hospitals will remain closed, while health facilitators, district medical officers, and provincial medical officers will still provide patient counseling and prepare insurance claims.

The government owes Rs. 14 billion to the insurance company for the treatment of patients in the affiliated hospitals, and it had previously agreed to release Rs. 4 billion each month to cover these expenses. Of this amount, the insurer would retain Rs. 1.5 billion to pay off outstanding dues, while the remaining Rs. 2.5 billion would be spent on patients’ monthly treatment. The health department is expected to pay Rs. 4 billion to the firm on the 20th of each month. In this regard, a senior health official while talking to a media outlet, said,

We haven’t paid Rs4 billion in March to the firm and a similar installment is due to be paid today (April 20) but the caretaker government cannot pay the amount due to severe financial constraints. Therefore, the SLIC has stopped the programme from today (Thursday).

They said that a lengthy meeting was held with the provincial chief secretary in the chair that was attended by officials of SLIC and secretaries of the health and finance department to resolve the issue of outstanding dues and keep the program afloat. “However, the indications show that there are no funds and as a result, the program will stay closed,” they added.

How Sehat Card has benefited the masses?

The program has been beneficial for the masses in several ways. Firstly, it has provided access to healthcare services for families who may not have been able to afford it otherwise. The program covers the cost of treatment for a range of diseases and medical procedures, including surgeries, dialysis, and chemotherapy.

Secondly, the program has helped to improve the overall healthcare infrastructure in KPK. The impaneled hospitals are required to meet certain standards in terms of facilities and quality of care, which has incentivized them to upgrade their services.

Thirdly, the program has helped to reduce the financial burden on families who may have had to borrow money or sell assets to pay for medical treatment. This has allowed families to save money and invest in other areas such as education and business.

Overall, the Sehat Card Plus program has been a positive step towards improving access to healthcare services for the people of KPK, particularly those from low-income backgrounds. However, the recent suspension of new admissions to the program due to non-payment of dues by the provincial government highlights the challenges faced in implementing such programs and the need for consistent funding to sustain them.

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