Sixty-three percent of the people who have Sehat Cards go to private medical facilities for treatment while 10% people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) are still deprived of the facility.
According to a report unveiled on Monday in a local hotel of the provincial capital, only 37% of the people holding the card go to government hospital for medical help.
The report based on a survey conducted by the Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH) said 65% of the patients availing of the facility received treatment at district hospitals while 35% patients went to bigger medical facilities.
Sixty-three percent of patients preferred getting treatment at local hospitals, 30% went to hospitals of other districts while 6.3% got treated at hospitals of other provinces. The report said 10% people of the province are still deprived of the facility with 44% of these people facing hurdles in getting the card due to domicile or citizenship issues.
It said 84% of the participants of the study have called for covering the Out-Patient Department (OPD) visits under the health insurance. It said on an average a cost of Rs31, 395 is incurred on each patient annually.
The report recommended that common people might be included in the Sehat Card Plus Policy Board. It also called for upgrading the hospitals in far flung areas.
Talking to the media after the event attended by people from all walks of life including officials of the provincial health department, caretaker minister Riaz Anwar said the province is facing financial challenges but the government has not rolled back the programme.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 6th, 2023.
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