PTI (Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf) government has decided to give equal rights to transgenders, a community facing socio-political marginalization in Pakistan. In this regard, special desks have been established at the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) centers for the registration of transgender persons so that Sehat Insaf cards could be provided to them.
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Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday announced that cards would be issued to transgender persons so that they could get medical facilities free of cost.
Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Health Dr. Zafar Mirza at a news conference on Tuesday said that the government is fully committed to facilitate the transgender people. “Community members just have to declare themselves as transgender and in this regard, a simple procedure will be adopted as only their personal confirmation is enough. There is no requirement of documentation from any other office in this regard,” he said.
SAPM on Health Regulations Dr. Zafar Mirza says the government is committed to protect the basic rights of the transgender community. Addressing a news conference in Islamabad today he said every transgender registered with NADRA, will be provided with Sehat Insaf Card. pic.twitter.com/2vKHc4d01v
— Government of Pakistan (@GovtofPakistan) December 31, 2019
According to details, each transgender person would be able to get medical treatment of Rs720,000 from as many as 300 private and public sector hospitals that have been put on a panel to provide health services to deserving people.
Dr. Mirza said the Ministry of National Health Services (NHS) had started giving health cards to all transgender persons who were registered by NADRA and had a CNIC. He said the new registration system at NADRA would be linked with the office responsible for issuing health cards to provide them the facility without any hurdle and on an immediate basis.
Read more: Sehat Insaaf Card for around 6 million families in Punjab
“I suggest to all members of the community to start registering themselves as a transgender person with NADRA to avail services of the Sehat Sahulat Programme. NADRA has been asked to provide maximum assistance to transgender persons in their registration process,” he said.
Dr. Mirza said the government would seek assistance from the leaders of the transgender community to guide others to get registered with NADRA. “The government is fully committed to protecting their basic rights and issuing health cards to them is ample example of its priority of improving their health. This decision would further improve the soft image of the country in the world,” he said.
Notably, the Prime Minister of Pakistan Mr. Imran Khan launched a medical facilitation card named Sehat Insaf card for the needy and underprivileged. Addressing the launch ceremony in Islamabad on Monday, the 4th of February 2019, the Prime Minister had said that every needy family could avail free treatment up to over Rs0.7 million in 150 government and private hospitals under this program. He said that the poor have to sell all their belongings for medical treatment. The cards will also be distributed in tribal areas, he added.
8 lac and 50 thousand citizens have availed free medical treatments, whereas more than 2 lac have been admitted for major treatments so far, with PTI government's, Sehat Insaf Card.
A step forward towards a welfare state. #2019RevivalOfPakistan pic.twitter.com/SHwSQIT2f7— PTI Islamabad (@PTIOfficialISB) December 31, 2019
Prime Minister Imran Khan said each cardholder will also be provided transport charges of one thousand rupees on every visit to the hospital.
The initiative was first launched in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in 2016. “We gave Sehat cards to more than half of the households that were living below the poverty line in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP),” the PM told the gathering. “To launch the project countrywide, it took us some time but it is better late than never. The Sehat Sahulat Program will benefit approximately 1.5 crore people currently living below the poverty line”, PM Khan further said.