PESHAWAR: Distribution of health insurance cards with the brand name of “Sihat Insaf Cards” amongst the deserving households of the province kicked off in Peshawar to make the service of free medical treatment available for the card holders. Cards are being issued under the Social Health Protection Scheme (Sihat Sahulat Programme) of the provincial government. Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Pervez Khattak formally launched the distribution by giving away cards to a couples of deserving families in a ceremony held here on Monday. More than 1.8 million households across the province were issued cards. As many as eight members of per house hold will be entitled for free medical treatment, and thus 1.4 million individuals of the province will be covered under the programme. Initially the programme was launched in four selected districts of the province including Kohat, Mardan, Malakand and Chitral with the financial assistance of the German Government. Keeping in view the utility and need of the scheme the provincial government now included it in its Annual Development Program and extended it to the entire province. The free medical treatment covered in the scheme include hospital services normally provided at secondary and tertiary level such as Medicines, General Surgery, Gynae and Obstetric, Ophthalmology, Accident and Emergency treatment and ENT etc whereas some more diseases will also be covered under the scheme later on. Free medical treatment facilities under the scheme can be availed from designated hospitals of both public and private sectors. More than half of the population of the province will directly benefit from the scheme. This two year schemes will cost Rs.5.00 billion which will be regularized by the provincial government through proper legislation. Addressing the ceremony as chief guest Pervez Khattak termed the schemed as a public friendly and a revolutionary step and said that provision of free and quality healthcare service to the people was the top most priority of his government and Sihat Sahulat Programme was an effective step towards that end. He assured that Sihat Insaf Cards would be issued to only deserving families under a pre-defined criteria without any political affiliation or consideration. He highly lauded the hard work of the high ups of health department for making the schemes a reality in a very short span of time.