Residents urge PTI lawmakers for healthcare access in Mardan

Residents of Takhtbhai and Shergarh areas in Mardan district are facing challenges in accessing the benefits of the Sehat Sahulat Card scheme. The reason behind this issue is the non-empanelment of Tehsil Headquarters (THQ) Hospital Takhtbhai by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Health Department. Despite the government's initiative to offer free healthcare services through the Sehat Card to CNIC holders, the population of Tehsil Takhtbhai remains excluded from the program. The THQ Hospital Takhtbhai, commonly known as 'Ganjai Hospital,' serves as the only tehsil headquarters hospital in the entire district.

According to the information available on the health card website, only two government hospitals in the district are currently part of the Health Department's panel for the insurance scheme. An official from the District Health Office (DHO) Mardan disclosed that assessments have been conducted to provide free healthcare services at THQ Hospital Takhtbhai. However, despite discussions between DHO officials and the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Health Department, endeavors to incorporate the hospital into the health card scheme have not yielded positive results.

Local residents have made appeals to the two PTI lawmakers, MNA Ali Mohammad Khan and MPA Iftikhar Mashwani, to intervene and ensure the empanelment of THQ Hospital Takhtbhai in the Sehat Sahulat Card program.

The delay in including THQ Hospital Takhtbhai in the Sehat Sahulat Card scheme has left residents of Mardan district's Takhtbhai and Shergarh areas without the benefits of free healthcare services. The community's plea to the lawmakers highlights the urgency of addressing this issue to ensure equitable access to healthcare for all individuals in the region.