BAHAWALPUR: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday said the government of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf was committed to mitigating the deprivation of the people of South Punjab by ensuring their just share in development budget and employment opportunities.Addressing the launch event of Naya Pakistan National Health Card in Bahawalpur division, he said the people of South Punjab would be given their right of access to education, healthcare and development in accordance with the percentage of the population.The National Health Card, providing Rs one million medical coverage per household annually, will benefit around 10.5 million people belonging to the districts of Rahimyar Khan, Bahawalpur and Bahawalnagar. The prime minister termed the launch of the health coverage facility as the “landmark step” to accommodate the people bearing the burden of expensive medical treatment. He said universal health coverage was available in a few countries across the world, where the government fully covered the medical expenses. In Pakistan, he said, the philosophy behind the health card was in line with the goals of a socio-welfare State of Medina, adding that it would prove a phenomenal step in the improvement of healthcare services. Imran Khan said the health card was a defining moment in encouraging the private sector to join the medical network especially in rural areas and creating an environment to compete for the public sector hospitals to improve their services.
