Govt pays Rs4 billion to insurance firm for free treatment scheme.

PESHAWAR -- The provincial finance department has released Rs4 billion to State Life Insurance Corporation (SLIC) after warning by the latter to stop or restrict free health services under Sehat Card Plus scheme owing to non-payment of dues.

Sources said that the decision to release the amount was made following directives by the caretaker chief minister and approval by the chief secretary to keep the cashless treatment of people afloat. They said that government had to pay an outstanding amount of Rs25 billion to SLIC, which was executing the programme.

They said that company wanted Rs4 billion every month to continue services and get the unpaid amount. It had sent three letters to the department last month to restrict or fully stop services in case of non-payment of its dues, they added.

Caretaker Chief Minister Mohammad Azam Khan, who chaired a meeting regarding SCP, was informed that Rs28 billion was being spent on the free treatment of people every month.

Rs28 billion being spent every month under the programme

The meeting also attended by CM's Adviser on Health Dr Abid Jameel, Finance Secretary Ayaz Khan, Special Secretary Health Abidullah Kakakhel and SCP chief Dr Mohammad Riaz Tanoli, directed the quarters concerned to form a committee to carry out clinical audit of all the empanelled hospitals to ensure provision of quality health services to 9.7 million families of the province.

They were told to come up with short term proposals according to the mandate of the caretaker setup as long term measures were the domain of the upcoming provincial government.

According to a statement, the committee will also recommend steps to make health services effective in rural areas. The chief minister termed SCP an important step for public welfare and ordered its further improvement. 'We have to ensure that the people get maximum benefits from the scheme,' he said.

SCP has empanelled 1139 healthcare facilities including public and private and 197 of these hospitals are situated in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Sources said that...