Health insurance for artists, journalists aims at making equitable Pakistan: PM

• Insurance facility will provide coverage to those working in the media and film industry.
• The health program is part of the prime PM’s larger efforts to revive the economy and implement various welfare programs.
• The government plans to allocate funds from the PM Program to offer this insurance coverage.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s initiative to introduce health insurance for journalists and artists is a significant step towards achieving a fairer Pakistan, as envisioned by Quaid-e-Azam.

This insurance facility will provide coverage to those working in the media and film industry, addressing their need for essential amenities in their lives.

The government plans to allocate funds from the PM Program to offer this insurance coverage.

PM Shehbaz also praised Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Marriyum Aurangzeb, for her role in launching this insurance facility.

PM stated that during Nawaz Sharif’s tenure, a health insurance card program was launched on a large scale, aiming to provide medical support to the less privileged who couldn’t afford costly treatments.

Added that it faced challenges as some people misused the facility in connivance with private hospitals.

To ensure equitable healthcare, Nawaz Sharif’s government established the Pakistan Kidney and Liver Institute, offering free treatment to the poor and charging the wealthy to subsidize the costs, said PM.

The Information and Broadcasting Minister, Marriyum Aurangzeb, mentioned that Rs 1 billion each had been allocated for health insurance of journalists and artists. The registration process has already begun, and the prime minister will inaugurate the distribution of health cards by August 7.

This initiative continues the efforts to link journalists’ salaries with media entities’ business and covers ambulance service, cardiac and other surgeries, offering comprehensive welfare for artists and journalists.

Besides, the government has recovered Rs 120 million of journalists’ salaries from media organizations.

Overall, the health insurance program is part of the prime minister’s larger efforts to revive the economy and implement various welfare programs, such as CPEC, BISP, Metro services, and health insurance.

The agreement for health insurance was signed between the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and State Life Insurance Corporation, marking an essential milestone in providing healthcare support to journalists, media workers, artists, and technical workers.