Naya Pakistan health cards will help 30 million peoples : PM Imran Khan

LAHORE (APP) – Prime Minister Imran Khan began the distribution of the Naya Pakistan National Sehat Card to the whole population of Punjab province on Friday, allowing every family to get medical care worth up to Rs1 million per year at both government and private clinics.

Addressing the inaugural event, he praised Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar, Health Minister Yasmin Rashid, and the whole team engaged, saying that the Punjab government has taken the country in the direction of the forebears’ ambition of making Pakistan an Islamic welfare state.

The prime minister described it as a “revolutionary move” that “neither everyone nor any of the governments in the world can adopt.”

He stated that the initiative will provide health insurance to 30 million families at a cost of Rs 400 billion to the government. He stated that our forebears wished to establish Pakistan an Islamic welfare state, but that this could not be achieved.

The prime minister cited Madina State as the first welfare state that fulfilled the fundamental duties of its residents, saying that sadly, no such state could be found in the Muslim world, but that Scandinavian governments were near to that model.

The prime minister cited Denmark, Norway, and Sweden as states that have always believed in inclusive growth and compassion for the poorer segments. He stated that every individual or nation who follows Allah Almighty’s instructions will get His favour.

He said that while the Scandinavian nations did not have more resources than Pakistan, they were more successful as a result of adopting the welfare state model.

“Today, the Punjab administration made such an action to set the country on the path of improving this nation… We want to make Pakistan into the country that it was intended to be. If we do not go that path, we would be betraying the Indian Muslims who voted for it,” he said.

He added that in the past, several leaders pledged to make Pakistan an Asian Tiger, which could never be larger than the dream of a welfare state like Madina.

According to the prime minister, the Sehat Card would contribute to the development of health facilities throughout the province by attracting the private sector to establish hospitals even in distant locations.

To save money, he suggested the government will close down government hospitals in remote places where physicians did not want to be deployed. He stated that the government will encourage the private sector to develop its network of private hospitals by permitting duty-free imports of their equipment.

The prime minister reminded the audience that a silent revolution was in the works thanks to the government’s proposal of house building loans by banks for the salaried class, which had been made possible after the government eliminated all restrictions.

He stated that individuals had sought for loans totaling Rs 260 billion, of which Rs 110 billion had been authorised and Rs 34 billion had already been issued.

He stated that about 2 million individuals had received interest-free financing for house construction via the Kamyab Pakistan Program. Furthermore, under the same initiative, farmers and others were granted a loan of Rs 0.5 million to help them start their own enterprises.