PESHAWAR: The residents of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are arriving from overseas to bear free liver and renal transplants on Sehat Card Plus (SCP) because the well being division empanelled 34 extra hospitals to cater to load of sufferers.

“I have been working in Malaysia for the past few years. I returned when I developed health complications because the treatment there was very expensive,” stated, Abdul Rehman, 51, a resident of Buner district. He stated that he went to a neighborhood hospital the place he underwent MRI scan, which confirmed that his liver was broken.

“So, we contacted the health department to undergo liver transplant on Sehat Card Plus. My son donated me liver due to which I am living normally now,” he stated.

He underwent free liver transplant at an Islamabad-based hospital. He had been instructed in Malaysia that it could price about Rs9 million, an quantity unaffordable for him.

Department empanels 34 extra hospitals

Mr Rehman stated that his members of the family instructed him to return from Malaysia to avail the free transplant facility on SCP.

So far, 37 liver transplants have been performed on SCP freed from price.

The bills incurred on single case have been Rs5.2 million. The authorities included liver transplant in cashless remedy programme final yr.

The inclusion of liver transplant within the free remedy scheme has benefitted 37 residents of the province to date whereas 10 others are within the pipelines to get the identical remedy on SCP.

Officials stated that folks have been coming from overseas nations as a result of most of them couldn’t bear the fees of transplants. The residents of the province are additionally benefitting from the free renal transplant providers.

Ahmad Ali, a 14-year-old boy, was introduced by his dad and mom from United Arab Emirate when he developed kidney issues. His father Aman Khan, working in a Dubai-based personal firm, stated that each kidneys of his son have been broken and he was on dialysis however he rushed him to Peshawar when his associates knowledgeable him about SCP.

“Doctors operated on my son three months ago. He is fine now. We all pray for Imran Khan and Chief Minister Mahmood Khan for this facility. Health department has been extremely cooperative in facilitating us,” he stated.

More than 120 renal transplants have been carried out on SCP to date and greater than 12 are being ready for a similar remedy, in keeping with officers.

Dr Aamir Rafiq Khattak, SCP director empanelment, instructed Dawn that they didn’t have a file of individuals coming from overseas nations to get free well being providers however everybody having identification card of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was eligible to avail the ability.

“As per rules, we check the credentials of patients with the record of National Database and Registration Authority and allow their free treatment regardless of their financial position,” he stated.

Dr Aamir stated that not too long ago they terminated the contracted of 48 hospitals for his or her failure to offer high quality remedy to sufferers beneath the free well being scheme. He stated that they authorized 34 new amenities after correct evaluation of the panel of consultants. He stated that the hospitals can be required to use for empanelment after six months.

“There is no compromise on quality of treatment under Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Universal Health Coverage Act, 2022. The hospitals must have doctors and infrastructure including emergency, operation theatres, etc to stand eligible for empanelment. There are 1,000 hospitals across the country where people can receive free services. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has 203 such health facilities,” he stated.

Dr Aamir stated that about 9.5 million households of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and newly-merged districts have been entitled to free well being providers. “The government has spent about Rs37 billion on providing free treatment facilities to 1.5 million people. Each family can get treatment up to Rs1 million per year,” he added.

Published in Dawn, December fifth, 2022