PESHAWAR: The caretaker provincial government has asked federal government to finance Sehat Card Plus and other projects in former Federally Administered Tribal Areas till the transfer of its share in the National Finance Commission award as it was short of funds.

In a letter written to federal government, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa finance department said that due to the financial position of the province, the centre may bear the cost of the ongoing projects in erstwhile tribal areas.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has been demanding of the centre to finance the free treatment of tribal residents since the latter stopped their health coverage under its Sehat Sahulat Programme (SSP). The province ultimately started providing free health services to the residents of tribal districts through its Sehat Card Plus programme in June last year.

As per record, 138,345 patients from erstwhile Fata had been treated under the scheme, costing Rs3.72 billion. More than 1.6 registered families in the tribal districts stand entitled to cashless treatment like other dwellers of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in 1,100 empanelled hospitals throughout the country.

The programme has been facing shortage of funds since installation of caretaker govt

The federal government was supposed to support free healthcare project in tribal districts till June 30, 2022 which it denied and the province had to spend money on the scheme.

Sources said that SSP was part of the National Finance Commission award and its handover to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with funds had been decided by the former government.

They said that the province had argued that it required Rs4 billion funds until June 2023 for treatment expenses of patients in newly-merged districts.

Officials said that people would continue to get free health services in all districts but the province wanted money from the centre to be able to resume free renal and liver transplants under the scheme besides providing services to cancer, dialysis and intensive care patients that had been stopped in May for want of funds.

They said that stoppage of free health services in tribal districts was not possible because those were part of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the previous government had passed a law, which made it obligatory for the government to provide universal health coverage to people.

“State Life Insurance Corporation has been stopping and resuming free health services to people owing to shortage of funds after the installation of caretaker government as the firm has not been getting funds regularly to keep the programme afloat,” they said. They said that the province wanted assurance about transfer of those funds from the centre so that the programme did not suffer and patients continued to get free medical assistance in hospitals.

“In case of non-availability of funds, the SLIC can withdraw free facility from the population as it has to receive an outstanding amount of Rs12 billion from the government. SLIC, which is required to pay to the hospitals every month, has been complaining of delay in cash flow from the government,” said officials.

They said that tribal districts were not counted during the calculation of the share of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in NFC award so the shifting of healthcare funds required for the treatment of the region’s residents was of paramount importance for smooth-sailing of free health programme, which could not be withdrawn.

Officials said that they hoped that the centre would consider the demand.

Published in Dawn, August 3rd, 2023