Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif has launched the Health Insurance Card programme for media workers, artists and technicians attached to the film industry.

A Memorandum of Understanding for this purpose was signed between Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and the State Life Insurance Corporation in Islamabad on Thursday.

Under the programme, an annual health insurance to cover medical expenditure worth 1.5 million rupees will be provided to the cardholders.

Speaking on this occasion, the Prime Minister said the agreement is of utmost importance as it addresses the media men and artists who work hard, even sometimes during tough working conditions, but remain deprived of basic amenities in their lives.

He said the government will provide them with health insurance coverage through budgetary allocations under the PM Program.

He also instructed the SLIC to provide efficient services to health insurance cardholders through hassle-free procedures.

In her address, Information and Broadcasting Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb said the registration process for the health card has begun and health cards will formally be issued to the artists and media workers by next week.

She said the gathering that health card would cover ambulance service, cardiac and other surgeries.