ISLAMABAD: In order to provide top-of-the-line healthcare to the employees of the federal government, Qaumi Sehat Card Programme has approached four private hospitals in the federal capital to provide treatment to tens of thousands of serving and retired employees.

The decision was made during a meeting chaired by Health Secretary Iftikhar Ali Shallwani and attended by Federal Sehat Sahulat Programme CEO Muhammad Arshad, Islamabad Health Regulatory Authority (IHRA) CEO Quaid Saeed, representatives of the State Life Insurance Corporation and CEOs of the hospitals.

The hospitals which have been approached by the health card authority include Shifa International Hospital, Quaid-i-Azam International Hospital, Maroof International Hospital, and Kulsoom International Hospital. It has been decided that the pilot project will be started in the federal capital and later it can be expanded to other provinces.

An official privy to the details told Dawn that although there were 1,100 public and private sector hospitals empanelled but there was a general impression that top-notch private hospitals in the capital did not entertain health cards.

“On the other hand, serving and retired employees, especially those who have served in BPS-19 and above, never go to hospitals empanelled by Qaumi Sehat Card Programme. In this regard, it has been decided that the top-of-the-line hospitals should be involved to treat the serving and retired employees and their families,” he said. The hospitals’ CEOs were called to discuss the possibilities of the programme for the employees.

The CEOs informed the meeting that because of the devaluation of the Pakistani rupee, their profits had been “reduced to 3 to 4 per cent and they could not provide quality treatment in maximum rates fixed” by the government, the source quoted the CEOs as saying.

“It was decided that a top-up will be provided in the health cards of the employees… [and] separate cards will be issued to the retired and serving employees to allow them to get treatment at top-of-the-line hospitals,” he said.

According to a statement, Federal Sehat Sahulat Programme CEO Muhammad Arshad informed the meeting that the programme has been covering over 200 million Pakistanis and offering cashless services through 1,100 public and private hospitals.

Mr Arshad requested private sector hospitals’ leadership to join the scheme to offer cost-effective, quality healthcare services on a long-term basis for federal government employees across Pakistan. The NHS secretary emphasised that the private sector should come forward and support the government in such welfare projects.

He also said that good quality and proper cost management was also an equal challenge and responsibility of all the stakeholders.

He directed Sehat Sahulat Programme CEO to form a joint committee with the private sector hospitals to discuss the cost and related issues for amicable inclusion of currently non-empanelled private healthcare hospitals for the benefit of federal government employees and other beneficiaries of the Sehat Card Programme.

Published in Dawn, July 26th, 2023