On an invitation of the CCP Chairperson, Mr. M. Arshad Qaim-khani, the Chief Executive Officer of the Prime Minister Health Programme/Sehet Sahulat Programme/Sehet Card, visited the CCP for an interactive session on “Major health reforms, Sehat Sahulat Programme, and Competition Issues in the health sector”. While giving an overview of the Universal Health Insurance Programme, Mr. Qaim-khani informed that currently, around 170 million Pakistanis are availing free of cost health services in the public and private hospitals across Pakistan. The programme covers Khyber Pakhtunkhwa including all districts/agencies of erstwhile FATA, Punjab, Federal Capital, Tharparkar (District Sindh), Azad Jammu & Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan. He added that with the inclusion of rest of the Sindh and Balochistan, the programme will be extended to the whole of Pakistan and all the 230 million (approx.) Pakistanis will benefit from it He said that to facilitate the citizens, the National Identity Card has been declared as the Qaumi Sehat Card, which covers full hospitalization services. To further facilitate the citizens, the renal transplant and maternity treatment were also covered in the programme. He informed that on an average, 15 thousand (approx.) lives are being saved through their free of cost treatment in around 1000 registered hospitals out of which 70 percent are private and 30 percent are public hospitals. Discussing the financial and regulatory aspects of the health programme, Mr. Qaim-khani said that the programme is modelled on sustainable financial basis. Currently, the health budget of Pakistan’s all provinces, regional and federal is 1000 billion rupees (approx.), whereas even when the health card will be given to the whole population, i.e., 230 million people, its total budget would be 230 billion rupees (approx.), which makes only 23 percent of the national health budget. To a question, Dr. Qaimkhani informed that the insurance company, State Life Insurance, was selected through an open and transparent bidding process following the PPRA Rules for implementation program. Similarly, the procurement of products and services is done in a transparent manner through a competitive process. The Chairperson Ms. Rahat Kaunain Hassan appreciated and thanked Mr. Qaim-khani for sharing the inspiring story. She hoped that the health programme would promote competition and efficiencies and help bring innovation and attract foreign direct investment in the health sector. The Sehat Sahulat Programme under the Universal Health Insurance Programme has helped improve Pakistan’s SDG-3 position, she added.
On an invitation of the CCP Chairperson, Mr. M. Arshad Qaim-khani, the Chief Executive Officer of the Prime Minister Health Programme/Sehet Sahulat Programme/Sehet Card, visited the CCP for an interactive session on “Major health reforms, Sehat Sahulat Programme, and Competition Issues in the health sector”.
While giving an overview of the Universal Health Insurance Programme, Mr. Qaim-khani informed that currently, around 170 million Pakistanis are availing free of cost health services in the public and private hospitals across Pakistan. The programme covers Khyber Pakhtunkhwa including all districts/agencies of erstwhile FATA, Punjab, Federal Capital, Tharparkar (District Sindh), Azad Jammu & Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan. He added that with the inclusion of rest of the Sindh and Balochistan, the programme will be extended to the whole of Pakistan and all the 230 million (approx.) Pakistanis will benefit from it
He said that to facilitate the citizens, the National Identity Card has been declared as the Qaumi Sehat Card, which covers full hospitalization services. To further facilitate the citizens, the renal transplant and maternity treatment were also covered in the programme. He informed that on an average, 15 thousand (approx.) lives are being saved through their free of cost treatment in around 1000 registered hospitals out of which 70 percent are private and 30 percent are public hospitals. Discussing the financial and regulatory aspects of the health programme, Mr. Qaim-khani said that the programme is modelled on sustainable financial basis. Currently, the health budget of Pakistan’s all provinces, regional and federal is 1000 billion rupees (approx.), whereas even when the health card will be given to the whole population, i.e., 230 million people, its total budget would be 230 billion rupees (approx.), which makes only 23 percent of the national health budget.
To a question, Dr. Qaimkhani informed that the insurance company, State Life Insurance, was selected through an open and transparent bidding process following the PPRA Rules for implementation program. Similarly, the procurement of products and services is done in a transparent manner through a competitive process.
The Chairperson Ms. Rahat Kaunain Hassan appreciated and thanked Mr. Qaim-khani for sharing the inspiring story. She hoped that the health programme would promote competition and efficiencies and help bring innovation and attract foreign direct investment in the health sector. The Sehat Sahulat Programme under the Universal Health Insurance Programme has helped improve Pakistan’s SDG-3 position, she added.
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