In Pakistan, you must have come across the term “Qaumi Sehat Card”, a trending keyword in the health sector of the country these days. Can a single card provide you with expensive health treatment free of cost? Does it work? If yes, then how you can apply for the Qaumi Sehat Card? This is exactly what you are going to learn in this article. Read till the end to know everything about it.
Qaumi Sehat Card- What is it?
Qaumi Health Card is a health insurance initiative taken by the Government of Pakistan. With this card, people with low income can get inpatient healthcare services free of cost. It’s your choice whether you want your treatment to be done by a government hospital or a private one, if you have Qaumi Sehat Card, you will not have to pay even a single penny to the hospital.
Being a Sehat Card Holder, you will have free access to medical treatment in case of an emergency or accident. Also, if you are diagnosed with a disease like cancer Hepatitis, Kidney disease, etc., the Sehat card will help you access the free treatment for these diseases. Moreover, the COVID -19 treatment is also free of cost for all the Sehat Card holders.
In which regions this facility is available?
Sehat Card is a recent initiative, and thereby it is gradually covering different regions of the country. So far, Qaumi Sehat Card has provided universal health insurance to people residing in the following areas:
- Islamabad
- Gilgit Baltistan
- Azaad Jammu Kashmir
- KPK
- Fata
- Tharparkur district of Sindh
- Punjab except for 2 divisions Sargodha and Gujranwala which will also be fully covered till 31st March
Only Balochistan and Sindh are not included in the list but the Government claims to cover these areas by the end of this year. Thus by the end of 2022, Government is determined to provide each Pakistani with full health insurance with the help of this Qaumi Sehat Card.
In all these areas, the Sehat Sahulat program has empanelled some specific hospitals. You can find the list of these hospitals on the official website of the Sehat Sahulat Program. The government keeps on adding more hospitals to the list to provide you with the best healthcare experience.
Eligibility Criteria
If you are a resident of Punjab, then you are eligible to apply for the Qaumi Sehat Card Punjab regardless of your income. Your family can receive free medical treatment of up to 10 lakhs with this Sehat Card.
However, a single SMS can help you check your eligibility for this health card.
- You can check your eligibility by sending your CNIC number to 8500.
- In case you are a resident of KPK, you should send your CNIC number to 9780 to check your Qaumi Sehat Card eligibility
You can also download the Naya Pakistan Qaumi Sehat Card app on android to get information regarding your eligibility.
Qaumi Sehat Card- How to get it?
To get a Qaumi Sehat Card check online your eligibility. Once you have checked your eligibility, the next step is to apply for the card. In case of an emergency, your CNIC can act as your sehat card. Go to the empanelled hospital and show your CNIC card to the Sehat Sahulat Program counter to get immediate free treatment.
The procedure for sehat card online application is simple and quite automatic. When you send your CNIC number to 8500 to check your eligibility, you will automatically register yourself to get a health card.
As a result of this Qaumi Sehat Card registration, you will receive a message on which you will be informed of the address of the counter from which you can receive your Sehat card.
Wondering about which documents are necessary to get the Qaumi Sehat Card? Your CNIC is the one and the only requirement for getting your health card. In case you are below 18, bring your Bay form along with your guardian CNIC. Take your documents to the card distribution centre of your district and get your Sehat card.
Qaumi Sehat Card-Medical Services Covered
The Sehat card is for inpatient services. OPD services are not covered under this program which means if you are suffering from flu, fever, cough, you will have to pay for your checkup unless you are admitted to the hospital. Following are the two categories in which your treatment will fall.
1. Secondary Care
In secondary care, each family is provided with the initial coverage of PKR 60,000 annually. If in case this amount exceeds, the government has reserved the additional funds of PKR 60,000 for each family. In secondary care, you can avail of many inpatient services i.e., emergency treatment, medical and surgical procedures, Maternity checkups and services, injuries, and fractures, 1000 rupees transport allowance to families thrice a year, and post-hospitalization.
2. Primary Care
The second category is primary care in which different diseases are treated free of cost i.e., Burns and RTA, heart diseases, diabetes, kidney diseases, organ failure, chronic infections, and neurosurgical procedures. The initial amount for each family reserved for primary care is PKR 300,000 per year. In case the amount exceeds, additional coverage of PKR 300,000 per year is reserved for each family.
Qaumi Sehat Card- Helpline
Suppose you are eligible for the Sehat card, but the SMS declares that you are not. What will you do now? If you face any such hurdles in getting your Sehat card, you can contact the helplines. For KPK, the helpline number is 0800-89898. For all other areas, the number is 0800-09009.
To sum it up
Qaumi Sehat Card is a big step towards the welfare of our people. In the 75 years history of Pakistan, this will be the first time that the whole population will be provided with free health insurance. However, the government should make sure to implement this scheme fairly in all regions. If implemented properly, this initiative can set an example in the history of Pakistan.
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