LAHORE: The State Life Insurance Company on Thursday threatened to close the Sehat Card programme over non-payment of dues worth Rs83 billion, ARY News reported.
Political motives are cited as a major contributor to the sorry state of affairs and possible closure of the programme.
PML-N officials were reported to have given a signal to slow down the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Sehat Card Programme last year, disregarding the success story of the program.
State Life Insurance and Punjab Health Feasibility Company are at odds after the insurer threatened to shut down the revolutionary Sehat Card, launched by the PTI government.
In a letter, the State Life Insurance company has demanded payment of pending Rs83 billion dues else threatened to close the programme from April 1.
The letter further stated that the budget for the Sehat Card programme was Rs125 billion, but the insurance company only received funds of Rs31 billion so far.
Meanwhile, the Punjab Health Company chief Ali Razzaq has assured the insurance company for the release of pending funds.
The PTI govt launched the scheme to provide free-of-cost medical services to low-income and poor households and covers medical bills up to Rs1 million annually.
The Sehat scheme, first launched by the PTI in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) in 2016, was extended to the federal capital, Punjab, and Gilgit-Baltistan in 2021.
Author: Maria Sarfraz (@mariaa.sarfraz)
