Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif launched National Health
Programme in Azad
“National Health Programme is not an instantaneous initiative,
but part of the PML-N manifesto and its implementation was under consideration
for the past several months. It’s a privilege for me and my government to see
that proclamation being fulfilled,” he said at the launching ceremony, held in the
auditorium of AJK Medical College.
As many as 82362 people in district Muzaffarabad and 79,400 people
in district Kotli would benefit from the programme in the first phase.
Recalling the launch of programme from Islamabad on December 31,
the prime minister particularly cited the example of a penurious person selling French fries
along an Islamabad artery who had received cardiac treatment under the scheme in a
major health facility in the federal capital.
Appreciating the individuals and institutions providing free
treatment to people, particularly the penniless ones, he said the programme was
a step towards implementation of government’s objective of providing free treatment
to people.
“I am very confident about the serviceability of the programme
for the underprivileged segments of society,” he said.
While spelling out details of the amount to be spent on the
beneficiaries, he said Pakistan was a poor country of 200 million people and he
wished it had very deep pockets so that he could arrange free treatment
facilities for all unable to afford it.
The prime minister said he always thought about measures to
mitigate the sufferings and create opportunities for the downtrodden lot.
“Every
government should think on the same lines and it should be the priority of
every government,” he said.
He
was of the view that though development of communication network, eradication
of terrorism and augmentation of energy resources did need attention, but, at
the same time, peace should also be brought in the lives of the poor.
“It’s
all the more necessary to assuage the problems of the poor so that they don’t
have to sell their belongings for treatment,” he said.
Initially the programme was designed for 23 districts, but, he
announced, it would soon be extended to the entire country, including the whole
of AJK, GB and Federally Administered Tribal Areas.
The prime minister also specifically mentioned his daughter Maryam Nawaz for
her “untiring efforts” for the launch of programme along with the others concerned.
He made it clear that there was no politics in the programme and
added that the PPP and PML-N were on the same page in this regard.
The prime minister announced on the occasion a donation of
two buses and Rs 100 million for students of Medical College.
Earlier, he also distributed health card among a few beneficiaries.
Prior to the prime minister's speech, AJK President Sardar Mohammad Yaqoob Khan, Prime Minister Chaudhry Abdul Majeed, federal minister of state for national health services Saira Afzal Tarar, AJK health minister Sardar Qamar uz Zaman also spoke.
Apart from them, the stage was shared by Federal Minister for Kashmir affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) Barjees Tahir, prime minister’s daughter Maryam Nawaz and Leader of the Opposition in AJK Assembly Raja Farooq Haider.
Tariq Naqash
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