With the spread of COVID-19, knowledge of proper healthcare has never been at an all time
high. The use of digital healthcare solutions are needed that utilizes software or internet devices
for detection and treatment of many medical conditions such as this. One planned digital
healthcare solution provider is Sehat Khani that connects female doctors to patients.
Sehat Kahani is known as Story of Health and is an all-female health provider network in
Pakistan that connects home based female doctors, currently not working due to socio-cultural
taboos, to provide accessible, effective, and affordable health care solutions to patients in need
using ICT enabled health solutions. The company looks after the low income communities of the
country and caters to the uneducated with limited access to technology. The company has
upgraded basic health centers within these communities to Sehat Kahani E – Health Hubs.
The company connects female health provider networks to underserved beneficiaries providing
access, outreach and efficiency of healthcare. According to the company, they have three major
health goals:
● Access: By using trusted intermediaries in the form of female front line workers, in the
communities and dormant health infrastructure, they create Sehat Kahani E- Health
Hubs where a front line worker is trained by five step training on medical knowledge,
leadership and soft skills to connect patients in these Hubs to qualified home based
female physicians and skills.
● Prevention: Through the company’s health care portfolio, they have made innovative
preventive healthcare messaging and social marketing activities in target communities to
bring out a long term change in behaviors and health patterns.
● Efficiency: Using their expertise in tele-health, they have created their unique and
specialized tele-health platform – “Concierge Model”, which is accessible through
desktop and from mobile as well.
In a country like Pakistan, health care needs serious work upon especially with the spread of the
pandemic. Hence, this company will go a long way to provide quality health care services from
the comfort of their communities, mobiles, and laptops at an affordable cost.
Ehasas Emergency Cash Programme To Distibute PKR 12,000 Per Family
As Corona Virus has sent citizens from around the country to a state of Quarantine where
companies and institutions have to work from home. This has resulted in individuals having to
have a significantly lesser pool of cash in terms of daily wages. As individuals hope to find a
solution to the current wages issue, the Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Social
Protection and Poverty Alleviation Dr Sania Nishtar was recently noted to have said that the
'Ehsaas Emergency Cash Programme', would benefit around 67 million people around
Pakistan.
According to Dr Sania Nishtar’s official twitter handle, she said: "I will do a press conference this
week to explain how the “#Ehsaas Emergency Cash and SMS program” will be implemented"
Previously, Dr Nishtar announced that the Ehsaas Emergency Cash Programme had been
approved for 10 million people, wherein Rs12,000 would be provided per family. She noted that
67 million people in total would benefit from the new plan and they plan to cater to daily wage
earners who have been badly affected by COVID-19.
According to her Twitter thread, she stated that: “There are three categories in the 10 million. (1)
4.5 million existing #Ehsaas Kafaalat beneficiaries (all women) already getting Rs. 2000 will get
extra Rs. 1000 emergency relief (total=Rs.3000) for the next 4months…(2) Three million
afectees will be identified through our national socioeconomic database. Eligibility threshold will
be relaxed upwards. Those with previous incomes upto 20,000who have now suffered economic shock and are without livelihood will be helped through #Ehsaas…(3) An SMS campaign, to be launched in 2 weeks will allow others, not currently enrolled in the database to seek assistance.
District Administrations will conduct assessments speedily after SMS is
received. Around 2.5 million will be identified through the #Ehsaas SMS route. Data analytics
will be used to ensure that the system is not abused. CNICs of those declared eligible will be
passed to #Ehsaas partner banks @HBLPak @BankAlfalahPAK and simultaneously an SMS
message will be sent to them directing them to collect money through nearest bank. We will
ensure coronavirus protection measures during #Ehsaas payments: use of hand-
washing/disinfectants at cash disbursement sites, increase in number of Point of Sales to <
crowding, special sites, distancing in queues & use of new currency notes #COVID19Pakistan”.
