PM Imran Khan congratulates KP govt for universal health coverage

• All residents of the province will get free health facilities up to Rs1 million, says KP CM Mahmood Khan
• Beneficiaries to get free medical facilities in over 400 designated private and government hospitals across KP
• Sehat Card Plus scheme is set to benefit over 6.5 million families and 40 million citizens of KPK

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan Monday congratulated the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government for becoming the first province in Pakistan to extend universal health coverage to all of its citizens.

“Congratulations to KP govt for making KP first province in (Pakistan) with Universal Health Coverage for all KP-domiciled citizens,” the prime minister said on Twitter.

Under the initiative, around 40 million residents of the province will be able to avail free health insurance of up to Rs1 million per family each year.

The beneficiaries would be able to get free medical facilities in over 400 designated private and government hospitals across the province.

According to the government, the extension of the universal health coverage to the province's population has been completed.

“It’s a big step towards achieving the dream of a welfare state on the pattern of Riasat-e-Madina as envisioned by Imran Khan,” KP Chief Minister Mahmood Khan said on Twitter a day earlier.

Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mahmood Khan has said that the entire population of the province will start receiving free healthcare facilities with the extension of the Sehat Card Plus scheme.

Talking to the media, he said KP will become the first province to have universal coverage of health insurance for 100% of the population with the launch of Sehat Card in southern districts — Kohat, Karak, Hangu, Bannu, Lakki Marwat, Tank, and Dera Ismail Khan.

Being executed through the Health Department in the province, the Sehat Card Plus scheme is set to benefit over 6.5 million families and 40 million citizens of KP.

The chief minister said that the scheme had already been extended to merged districts in the first phase, adding that a kidney and liver transplant facility has also been included in the scheme to benefit deserving families.

Under Sehat Card Plus, all residents of the province would get free health facilities up to Rs1 million, the chief minister added.

— Additional input from Radio Pakistan