PM to formally launch Journalists Health Insurance Card scheme on August 7: Marriyum

ISLAMABAD (APP) - Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb on Monday said that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif would formally launch Journalists Health Insurance Card Scheme on August 7.

She stated this after launching the registration process for Journalists Health Insurance Scheme by uploading its form on the website of the Press Information Department and Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.

The minister said that the health insurance form was now available online for media workers and journalists and they would be able to register themselves through the online health insurance form.

The minister said that for the first time, the government had allocated Rs1 billion for the health insurance of working journalists in the federal budget.

Marriyum Aurangzeb uploaded this online registration form along with journalists present there while Principal Information Officer Mubashar Hassan was also present.

The minister congratulated Secretary Information and Broadcasting Sohail Ali Khan, PIO Mubasher Hassan and the entire team of the Ministry of Information for launching the scheme.

Talking to the media, she said that health insurance for working journalists and artists was the vision of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. She said that all health facilities were being provided to journalists in the health insurance card scheme.

“Health insurance and salaries of journalists have always been an issue in Pakistan,” she remarked.

During 14 months, she added Rs 110 million had been recovered from the platform of ITNE and direct payments had been made to the employees in print media.

The minister said Minimum wage, job security of electronic media had been addressed in the amended PEMRA law, adding it was the Prime Minister’s directive to ensure health insurance to journalists as soon as possible and all working journalists had been included.