Health, life insurance cover to poor: Zardari directs SLIC to develop comprehensive strategy

President Asif Ali Zardari on Wednesday directed the State Life Insurance Corporation to develop on priority basis a comprehensive strategy for health and life insurance of the citizens in association with private sector so as to provide cover to the poor strata of the society. The government has to look after the health requirements of the poor and destitute of the country on a priority basis as they are the most vulnerable.
He said this while chairing a presentation on health and life insurance given by the State Life Insurance Corporation at the Aiwan-e-Sadr. Spokesperson to the President Farhatullah Babar said that Chairman State Life Insurance Corporation Shahid AZIZ Siddique gave a detailed briefing on the health insurance to the poor segment of the society, which was attended among others by M Salman Faruqui, Secretary General, Farzana Raja, Chairperson, BISP, Senator Syeda Sughra Imam, Malik Asif Hayat, Secretary to President, Nargis Sethi, Secretary health, Spokesperson to the President Farhatullah Babar and senior officials of State Life Insurance ,BISP and other relevant departments.
The President advised that the possibility of the involvement of World Health Organisation (WHO) in the proposed health insurance scheme be also examined. He directed that as a first step the health insurance of BISP beneficiaries be competed in at least four districts - one in each province of the country within the next four weeks.
The meeting was informed that life insurance have already been provided to one million families registered with BISP. Similarly, State Life Insurance registers about tens of thousands of BISP families for life insurance, the briefing was informed. The President said that the present government accords priority to the development of health sector and provision of health facilities to all especially to the needy, vulnerable and deserving people of the country. He said that successful implementation of BISP has led to increased recognition of the state's responsibility to protect the poor from further impoverishment through direct targeted intervention.-PR