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State Life Insurance corporation restores free health services in KP’s Sehat Card Plus Programme

Peshawar: The  State Life Insurance Corporation of Pakistan (SLICP) has reversed its decision to suspend free health services under the Sehat Card Plus Programme. The services were initially halted due to a lack of payment by the provincial caretaker government, causing concern among the public. However, following negotiations between the caretaker government and the insurance company, the services have been reinstated.

The suspension of free health services, which began on Tuesday, was slated to continue unless the government cleared its outstanding arrears by Friday, August 25. This development prompted the insurance company to cease admitting new patients under the Sehat Card Plus Programme. Emergency services and life-saving procedures were the only exceptions permitted under pre-authorization.

The suspension prompted apprehension among citizens, given the significant number of individuals who rely on the Sehat Card Plus Programme to access medical care. The caretaker government, led by Muhammad Azam Khan, engaged in negotiations with the insurance company and successfully reached an agreement to restore the services. The insurance company released a subsequent notification confirming the resumption of services.

In a newly issued notification, the insurance company stated that the previous decision to halt services was withdrawn. It assured stakeholders that the Sehat Card Plus Programme services would continue until August 31, 2023. The caretaker government reportedly pledged to make payments to the insurance company by the end of August, leading to this resolution.

The Sehat Card Plus Programme was introduced by the former Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government in KP during the 2018-19 period. This initiative aimed to provide citizens with access to essential healthcare services through the involvement of the State Life Insurance Corporation.

This isn’t the first instance of suspension due to payment issues. In April of the same year, the programme’s services were halted when the caretaker government failed to make payments to the insurance company. Despite a subsequent partial payment, the company suspended its services again in May, citing accumulated arrears.

As of now, the arrears have risen to approximately Rs28 billion, making it challenging for the insurance company to sustain its commitment to free health services. Officials speculate that the provincial government’s inability to fulfill its financial commitments may be indicative of broader issues, including a possible shift in the policy of providing free health services.

The restoration of the Sehat Card Plus Programme’s services comes as a relief to countless individuals who depend on the initiative for their medical needs. As the situation evolves, further discussions and decisions may be required to address the underlying financial challenges faced by the programme.

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Number of chairlifts closed in wake of Battagram incident

Following the Battagram chairlift accident, numerous local chairlifts in various districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have been shut down by district administrations. These chairlifts were operational in districts such as Swat, Shangla, Buner, Dir Lower, Dir Upper, Chitral, Haripur, Abbottabad, and Mansehra.

These chairlifts, which employ hundreds of buckets running on cable wires or ropes to connect different areas, particularly in Bataghram, Kohistan Upper and Lower, and Koli Palis, have been suspended. Deputy Commissioners have been directed to conduct thorough inspections of these local chairlifts across all Khyber Pakhtunkhwa districts.

Reports have also emerged from various districts where the closure of chairlifts has led to issues, with numerous areas expressing concerns about food shortages. The closure of these chairlifts has hindered access to other villages, schools, and markets in mountainous regions. This situation has particularly affected children, preventing them from attending school due to the lift closures. In light of this, the local population is requesting urgent intervention and the provision of locally viable alternatives from the administration, rather than a complete shutdown of these crucial facilities

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Battagram Rescue and the Challenges to KPK’s tourism Infrastructure

Pakistan’s northern areas are blessed with countless potential tourists attractions and many of these attract thousands of foreign and local travelers and adventurers every year, yet it remains a concerning fact that KPK hasn’t exploited its tourism attraction completely. On 22nd August 2023, the world witness one such challenge when 6 students along with their 2 teachers were stranded mid-air after 2 out of 3 cables of a dolly were snapped. It took Pakistan military, local administrations and locals more than 12 hours to rescue them. Alhamdulillah the rescuer operations were a success and all lives were saved eventually in untiring efforts led by Pakistan Army.

Despite the fact that no loss of life occurred in this incident, yet it has highlighted to the world all the challenges why people are reluctant to visit KPK for tourism and this is related to development of travel infrastructure particularly tourism infrastructure. Last year’s flash flooding caused massive damage to local hotelling businesses hence caused damage to tourism industry adversely and now this incident has further exposed inadequacy of infrastructure.

Apart from tourism, it this incident has exposed the lack of quality control over local chair-lift businesses where local vendors have been manufacturing and installing such chair-flits where there is no emergency exit is provided in case of emergencies like experienced two days ago. Hundreds of students and teachers risk their lives on a daily basis while commuting to and from school and colleges in this area. Apart from them, hundreds of local passengers use these risky chair-lifts daily to reach from one point to other in order to save time and avoid treacherous ground terrain where there are no roads are available to travel even for locals.

Apart from infrastructure, lack of adequate trained work force in disaster and crisis management is also a big challenge for tourism in KPK especially global tourism which can earn value able foreign exchange to the country. In Battagram incident, it took 3-5 hours (according to different reports) for Pakistan Army to initiate rescue operation due to lack of such facilities, training and infrastructure under local administration.  NDMA is responsible authority for such operations but unfortunately even NDMA relies on Pakistan Army’s

Though lack of infrastructure is the key participant in the under exploitation of tourism potential in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, there are other reasons as well that discourage tourism in the province.

Inflation: The recent inflation in the country has made travel and tourism unaffordable for many tourists, leading to a decline in tourist numbers. Apart from inflation, the tendency of overcharging the tourists for quick profits also harm tourism business profiles.

Weather Conditions: Poor weather conditions, especially during the Eid holidays, have also contributed to a decrease in tourism in the northern areas of Pakistan Lack of Infrastructure: Many tourist destinations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are located in remote mountain areas that are not adequately equipped to deal with emergencies. This lack of infrastructure and facilities can deter tourists from visiting

Lack of Trained Personnel: The province may also face a shortage of trained personnel to cater to the needs of tourists particularly in crisis situation like floods and other emergencies, which impact the overall tourism experience adversely.

Lack of Proper Facilities: Insufficient facilities such as hygienic food, clean washrooms, and well-maintained hotels cause hardships for tourists and discourage them from visiting again.

The provincial government has formulated a Tourism Policy for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which aims to provide a framework for the development and promotion of tourism in the province. This policy includes measures to improve the quality of tourism services, protect the environment, and enhance the overall tourist experience. The presence of this tourism policy notwithstanding there is a need to address tourism infrastructure development and its associated challenges like an industry crisis to avoid incidents like Battagram in future which affects not only tourism as they send negative signal to the world about local facilities but also endanger precious local lives.

To fully exploit the tourism potential in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, it is essential to address these challenges by implementing measures such as:

Improving Infrastructure: Developing and improving infrastructure in remote areas to ensure the safety and convenience of tourists.

Infrastructure Development: It is imperative that developing basic road infrastructure is critical in KP for everyone; tourists or otherwise. A survey must be initiated to locate all the spot in the province where people use dangerous chair-lifts to traverse to and from work or homes and basic road infrastructure must be developed on war footing so that people can say goodbye to this dangerous way of daily commuting.

Training Programs: Providing training programs for locals to enhance their skills in hospitality, tourism management, and emergency response is the most critical requirement in the province.

Promotion and Marketing: Increasing efforts to promote and market the tourist attractions of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa both domestically and internationally. Everyone coming to visit KP must be aware who to contact in emergency.

Facility Development: Investing in the development of proper facilities such as hotels, restaurants, and washrooms to enhance the overall tourism experience.

By addressing these factors and implementing effective strategies, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa can fully exploit its tourism potential and attract more visitors to the province.