Lahore: Caretaker Health Minister of Punjab, Dr Javed Akram, has refuted news reports suggesting the discontinuation of the Health Card scheme in private hospitals. Dr Akram clarified that there are no plans to stop the health cards and assured that cardiology facilities will not be restricted, Express News reported on Saturday. Emphasising the government’s commitment to providing healthcare benefits to genuine beneficiaries, he stated that cardiology services will continue uninterrupted in all government hospitals across Punjab through the Health Card programme. Dr Akram further revealed that the Punjab government is in the process of finalising a new agreement with the State Life Insurance Company to enhance the provision of healthcare facilities to the people of Punjab through health cards. The agreement aims to introduce more improvements and ensure efficient service delivery. Sources within the Punjab government had told The Express Tribune earlier this week that treatment facilities under the health card scheme would be curtailed, including the discontinuation of gynecological services in private hospitals. According to the sources, recommendations were submitted to the Punjab government regarding amendments to the approved health card policy. The proposed revisions are expected to limit medical facilities to benefit only the economically disadvantaged citizens. As part of these recommendations, gynecological services in private hospitals were allegedly proposed to be discontinued starting in July.
