Bahawalpur (Agencies): Prime Minister Imran Khan launched Naya Pakistan Qaumi Sehat Card Programme for Bahawalpur division.
Addressing the launch event, the premier said that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government was committed to mitigating the deprivation of the people of South Punjab by ensuring their just share in development budget and employment opportunities.
PM Imran said that the Universal Health Coverage Program being provided to every citizen in the country is a unique program as it is not even available to citizens of developed countries as well.
He said that he said that Rs400 billion were being spent on Naya Pakistan Qaumi Sehat Card Program in Punjab.
Imran Khan said that the private sector will set up hospitals in small cities and villages under the Health Card project.
The prime minister said that he will visit Bahawalpur again to inaugurate the South Punjab Secretariat there.
Imran Khan said the government was taking steps to improve economic stability and mentioned that the credible ‘Economist’ magazine and ‘Bloomberg’ had ranked Pakistan among the top three countries that had effectively sustained economically during pandemic.
He dismissed the “unreasonable” criticism of media that called the government as “inefficient”, and said that economic growth of 5.37 despite the pandemic situation could absolutely not be termed as inefficiency.
PM Imran said that Pakistan suffered immensely during these two tenures just like that ‘even a factory can become bankrupt if a dacoit is appointed at the top’.
The prime minister said the government was committed to bringing the corrupt answerable before the law and recovering the nation’s looted money.
Earlier, in his address, Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar said that after launching of this program in the three districts of Bahawalpur, Rahim Yar Khan and Bahawalnagar, 10.5 million people of Bahawalpur Division will take benefit from the programme and overall 63% of total population of Punjab will be able to get benefit for the programme.
Speaking on the occasion, Federal Minister for Industries and Production, Khusro Bukhtiar said that Bahawalpur Division has become the first Division of South Punjab where the National Health Card project is being launched.
