ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: The Caretaker Prime Minister Justice (retd) Nasir-ul-Mulk was told on Friday that the entire population of the Country would be covered under the Prime Minister’s National Health Program by the year 2021.
In a meeting held at Prime Minister’s Office in Islamabad, the Secretary National Health Services Captain (retd) Zahid Saeed made a detailed presentation on the concept, scope and outreach of the Program.
The prime minister was informed that the Program was catering to health expenditures of the poor families living below poverty line of US$ 2 per day by providing them free indoor health care services in various public and private health facilities.
It was informed that so far 3.2 million families in 38 districts across the Country have been registered as beneficiaries of the Program.
The meeting was informed that financial support of Rs 250,000 per family was being provided annually under the Priority Disease Package to include serious illnesses such as heart diseases, burns and accidents, dialysis, chronic infections complication, organ failure management and chemotherapy/radiotherapy/surgery.
The Secondary Care Package, amounting to Rs 50,000 per family per year, caters to health issues such as maternity services, transportation cost and referral expenses etc.
It was further informed that the support amount and the scope was being enhanced under Phase-II of the Program.
The prime minister, while appreciating the overall concept of the Program, observed that the Program has transformed the concept of provision of health cover to the poor and would, ultimately, be instrumental in achieving the goal of Universal Health Coverage which is an important pillar of National Health Vision 2016-2025.
