Invoking jurisdiction of the Lahore High Court on Friday a petitioner urged court directives for restoration of PTI led government Sehat Sahulat program in Punjab which the incumbent provincial interim government has closed.
The petitioner made provincial secretary health and Punjab government as respondents saying the government had been offering free treatment to patients under Sehat Card scheme but the facility was withdrawn since the interim govt took charge of administrative affairs in the province.
The petitioner urged the LHC to restore Sehat Card scheme in Punjab and issue directives to authorities concerned for investigation against those involved in the closure of the health scheme. Earlier, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) spokesperson Mariyam Aurangzeb had termed reports regarding closure of Ehsaas program, panagahs [shelter homes] and Sehat Card program as baseless.
Earlier rejecting the reports, Mariyam Aurangzeb had said that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has clearly stated that public welfare projects of the previous government will continue. She further said that the Sehat Card program will continue and rather they will bring improvement in it. “All those projects aimed at public welfare will be further improved,” she said and blamed the members of the previous government for launching propaganda against their closure.
It is pertinent to mention that the PTI led govt launched the Sehat Insaf Card 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.
