PESHAWAR – The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has announced to extend Insaf Health Card to every family in the province during the next fiscal year.
Finance Minister Taimour Khan Jhagra presenting provincial budget 2019-20 in the provincial assembly said that by giving Sehat Insaf Card to every family in the province, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa will become the first province to give universal health coverage to all people.
He said that government employees would also be included in this health insurance program.
Finance Minister said the government was committed to improving health facilities, expansion of infrastructure, improvement in health requirements and implementation of new health policy.
He said that more than Rs7 billion funds have been earmarked for improvement in health facilities at main hospitals like Institute of Cardiology, Hayatabad Medical Complex, Lady Reading Hospital, Khyber Teaching Hospital, Institute of Kidney Diseases and Fountain House Peshawar.
He said that the budget for medicines has been increased from Rs. 50 million to Rs. 100, adding an amount of Rs.80.2 million has been allocated for the treatment of poor cancer patients.
Taimour Jhagra said that Rs. 4.4 billion rupees would be spent on various health preventive programs.
He said that health facilities package would be extended to rural health centers, basic health units, and secondary level hospitals.
He said that new and ongoing projects of health units and medical colleges have been included in the annual development plan.