KP coronavirus patients can get free treatment using Sehat Card Plus

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Health Minister Taimur Jhagra announced on Monday that COVID-19 patients in the province can now use their Sehat Card Plus to seek coronavirus treatment free of charge.

"COVID patients in Pakhtunkhwa now treated free of charge under Sehat Card Plus, in both public & select private sector hospitals," tweeted Jhagra, who also holds the finance portfolio in the KP government.

Jhagra said that his government is in the middle of the "difficult pandemic" and is trying its "best to ease the pain of as many as possible".

Anwar Hospital in Swat will start its coverage from today and Waseem Medical Complex in Malakand will start treating patients under the Sehat Sahulat Card from April 17.

In KP's largest city Peshawar, RMI, Kuwait Teaching Hospital and Muhammad Hospital are already treating patients free of cost under the programme, while Afridi Medical Complex and Maqsood Medical Centre will start coverage from April 14.

Earlier this month, Jhagra had announced that the recently introduced Sehat Card programme by the provincial government will also cover coronavirus treatment.

"To try to provide maximum relief to those suffering from COVID, Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has decided to include COVID treatment in the Sehat Card programme," announced the minister on Twitter.

Jhagra appealed to the public to help control the high COVID positivity rate being reported in the province during the third wave. He added that by controlling the positivity ratio the pressure on the healthcare system could be eased.

The minister had said at the time that more details on the programme will be issued later.

KP is one of the provinces that has been worst hit by the third wave of coronavirus.

The Sehat Sahulat card programme was rolled out in a few districts of the province last year and was eventually expanded to the whole province.

The programme provides Rs1 million insurance to every family in the province.