PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Khan Gandapur on Tuesday ordered the start of air ambulance service within four months to save the lives of critically ill or injured people in remote areas of the province.

He also directed authorities to take steps to make matters relating to the health insurance programme Sehat Card Plus more transparent.

“Air ambulance service should be launched to make sure that people in remote and inaccessible areas reach hospitals on time,” he told a meeting here.

The meeting was also attended by health minister Syed Qasim Ali Shah, health secretary Mahmood Aslam Wazir and Sehat Card Plus CEO Dr Mohammad Riaz Tanoli, according to an official statement.

He also says matters about Sehat Card Plus programme should be made more transparent

The chief minister said that the provincial government would provide the required funds for the initiative as it was the need of the time to provide prompt healthcare to the people in the event of emergencies to protect their lives.

He also ordered the launch of a motorcycle response unit to help transport patients to hospitals in emergencies from congested areas.

Mr Gandapur said the Executive Health Checkup programme should be launched in hospitals to enable people over 65 years of age to undergo free checkups every three months.

Officials told the CM that 52,542 patients received Rs1.314 billion free treatment under the SCP programme since March 12.

They also said that artificial intelligence was being used to make services under the SCP more transparent and use taxpayers’ money to benefit the people.

The officials said that a mobile app was being prepared through which the names of family heads and other members would be available to all people.

They said the government was making full use of modern technology to make the initiative more transparent and people-friendly.

The officials said a “system of open kutcheris” had been launched to let people ask questions about the SCP programme and lodge complaints.

They added that during those events, most of the complaints were resolved on the spot.

The officials said there was also another mechanism of feedback through Nadra’s system, where 98.5 per cent of the people were found to be satisfied with the health insurance programme.

On the occasion, CEO of the SCP Dr Riaz Tanoli said the health insurance programme benefitted all residents of the province.

He said all people with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s computerised national identity cards could seek treatment not only in the province’s hospitals but in those in other provinces as well.

“There is a laid down criteria for the selection of hospitals, where the people can seek quality services on the production of the Sehat Cards,” he said.

Dr Tanoli said no compromise was made on the quality of services.

He said more hospitals with modern infrastructure and staff would be empanelled for the programme.

“We have suspended empanellment of many hospitals after finding complaints against them true,” he said.

Published in Dawn, April 10th, 2024