Federal Minister for Health Syed Mustafa Kamal has said that under Universal Health Coverage, citizens of Gilgit Baltistan, Islamabad, and Azad Jammu and Kashmir can receive free treatment at private hospitals.
He expressed these views while addressing the inauguration ceremony of the second digitalized health center at Jacob Line Saddar in Karachi. The health minister said that this is a moment of happiness for them and that they are grateful to Allah for granting them the opportunity to carry out this work once again.
Emphasizing the importance of serving humanity, the federal health minister referred to a Hadith, saying that during the time of Bani Israel, a woman saw a thirsty dog and quenched its thirst by removing her shoe, for which Allah granted her great reward. He said that Allah loves His creation and that providing relief to a person in distress brings great reward.
The federal health minister said that this is not an ordinary government task, rather the Federal Ministry of Health is working to reduce the suffering of Allah’s creation. He added that the healthcare system is close to collapse and that after the coronavirus pandemic it was proven that if such a large number of people fall ill at the same time, even powerful countries are affected, including the United States, the United Kingdom, and China.
He said that in Pakistan, many people fall ill even without a pandemic. Every year, 6.1 million children are born in Pakistan, out of which 400,000 children do not receive even a single dose of vaccination, while millions receive only a single dose.
Syed Mustafa Kamal said that healthcare is not only about treating patients but also about protecting citizens from diseases, and that this responsibility does not lie with the health minister alone, but with everyone from UC councilors onward.
