Special Assistant to Prime Minister on National Health Services, Dr. Faisal Sultan, has stated that the government has a plan to invest Rs. 440 billion on the provision of universal health coverage to the masses.
Talking to ProPakistani on Wednesday, Dr. Faisal Sultan underlined that whoever held a Computerized National Identity Card (CNIC) was entitled to avail health coverage up to Rs. 1 million in a calendar year. He asserted that the spending on health as compared to GDP was much higher than before, as the government planned to spend Rs. 440 billion in the next two years to provide across-the-board health coverage.
He announced that 30 million families of Punjab would be given Sehat Insaaf Cards from January 1.
Dr. Faisal Sultan said the government needed to spend on improving existing health infrastructure, adding that the health insurance program was, however, by far one of the unique programs of the developing countries.
When asked about the Omicron variant and related restrictions, he underscored that the government and National Command and Operation Center (NCOC) were observing the situation. Pakistan officially got one Omicron patient in Karachi, he said. He maintained that the situation was under control and measures are being taken to stop the spread of the variant.
Earlier, while addressing an event in connection with Universal Health Coverage Day, Dr. Faisal Sultan said Pakistan was a signatory to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and health-related SDGs entailed that Pakistan achieved a Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Service Index score of 80. In 2015, he said, the UHC Service Index score was 40, which has improved to 50 in the year 2020.
Dr. Faisal Sultan opined that Pakistan had to prioritize the health sector and all provinces/areas should strengthen the health service delivery systems and implement the UHC packages. He said it was highly important to have national-level monitoring of the UHC Service Index for the provinces in order to ascertain the trajectory of progress made toward the UHC target by 2030.
He stated that the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations & Coordination was committed to making all-out efforts to effectively coordinate and to contribute toward better health of the citizens of the country as there was no time for either apathy or complacency. This is a time for vigorous and positive action, he underlined.
He informed the participants that the theme selected for the year 2021 was “Leave No One’s Health behind: Invest in the health system for all,” aiming to acknowledge the importance of the need for a strong and resilient health system and Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
It is to note that Pakistan has made significant progress on UHC advancement over the last couple of years and has progressed toward the development and implementation of the Essential Health Services Package (EPHS).
Present on the occasion, Advisor UHC, World Health Organization (WHO), Dr. Zafar Mirza, emphasized that UHC should be seen as an investment in human capital and a foundational driver of inclusive and sustainable economic growth and development of the country. He stressed that the health sector should be given priority, especially by increasing investment in health.
He expressed that UHC was about overcoming the systemic barriers people faced when seeking health care, whether geographic, financial, or discriminatory. He stressed that investing more public funds in health and allocating them strategically, would help reduce out-of-pocket expenses and improve the availability of quality health services.
Addressing the participants, Country Representative, WHO, Dr. Palitha Mahipala, mentioned that the COVID-19 had exposed long-ignored risks, including inadequate health systems, gaps in social protection, and structural inequalities.
