Sindh to give health insurance cards to 500 artistes

Karachi: The Sindh government has, for the first time, chosen more than 500 artistes, writers and poets from the province for issuing them health insurance cards.

A decision to this effect was taken at the meeting of the Endowment Board of Sindh government’s Culture Department held recently. Sindh Culture Minister Syed Sardar Ali Shah chaired the meeting.

Director-General, Culture, Sindh Abdul Aleem Lashari informed Gulf News that the Sindh government’s Culture Department would initially select 1,000 artistes, writers, and poets for the issuance of the insurance cards. Every insurance card enables its holder to get health treatment services amounting to Rs400,000 annually.

He said the Sindh Culture Department had scrutinised the applicants for the scheme. Members of the artists’ fraternity who had been working in senior grades of government service or earning high salaries in the private sector would not be selected for the scheme.

Lashari said that members of the artists’ community between 35 to 65 years were eligible for the scheme.