The Peshawar Institute of Cardiology (PIC) has stopped providing free heart treatment services due to the low rates offered by the government under the Sehat Card Plus (SCP) program. This decision was made on Saturday because the reimbursement rates for operations and procedures were too low, making it difficult to provide quality patient care.
Reports indicate that PIC received a significant share of the profits generated from the SCP in the province, accounting for 13 percent last year. However, due to the depreciation of the local currency, the cost of essential items such as stents and pacemakers, which are imported in dollars, has increased.
Despite an increase in input costs, surgeons at PIC have been receiving the same compensation rates since 2019, while the prices of medical equipment have risen. The institute is now seeking a revision of compensation packages for cardiac operations and procedures to reflect market changes.
According to reports, to address these financial challenges, the government must allocate Rs. 21 billion to State Life Insurance Company. This would allow the institute to revise doctors’ compensation packages and ensure continued treatment of cardiac patients at PIC under the SCP program.
Reports add that a meeting is scheduled for Tuesday with the adviser to the chief minister on health to resolve this issue. The government remains committed to providing free treatment to patients, but compensation rates are not keeping up with rising medical costs. The urgent need for a solution is underscored by cardiologists’ demand for an upward revision of these rates.
While PIC’s decision to suspend free treatment has brought attention to challenges faced by the healthcare sector, hospitals across the region continue to provide heart-related services, albeit with reduced profit margins. The proposal for partial patient co-payment to enhance doctors’ compensation packages is being explored, but its acceptance remains uncertain.
