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ISLAMABAD, Jan 8 (APP):Federal Minister for Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Syed Imran Ahmed Shah on Thursday visited the National Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine (NIRM) to review the provision of medical financial assistance under Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal, as part of the government’s efforts to ensure that deserving patients are not deprived of treatment due to poverty, through on-ground inspections and directions for improving transparency, efficiency and fast-track processing of cases.
At NIRM federal minister was received by Executive Director of NIRM, Dr Shaista Habibullah. She briefed minister on the institute’s overall performance, patient care facilities and the support extended through Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal’s Individual Financial Assistance Programme.
Minister Imran Ahmad Shah inspected various departments of NIRM and later visited the prosthetics laboratory, where he reviewed the process of assembling and provision of artificial limbs, orthoses, hearing aids and other assistive devices.
Minister Imran Shah described NIRM’s rehabilitation services as crucial for persons with disabilities and individuals with special needs.
While speaking to the media, Imran Shah said that under the present government , Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal’s Individual Financial Assistance Programme had been made more effective, transparent and expansive. He informed that from 2022 to 2025, approximately 2,267 deserving patients at NIRM had received treatment and rehabilitation support through Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal, with a total expenditure of about 278 million rupees.
He further said that priority financial assistance at NIRM is being provided for major surgeries, artificial limbs, implants, hearing aids and speech and physical rehabilitation cases, adding that the maximum assistance limit under the programme had been enhanced from Rs1 million to Rs1.5 million.
The federal minister stressed that the government’s foremost priority is to ensure that no deserving individual should deprived of life-saving surgery or prosthetic treatment because of financial hardship. He also noted that the medical financial assistance budget of Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal had been increased from Rs 227 million in the previous fiscal year to around Rs280 million in the current year, reflecting the government’s strong commitment to social protection and healthcare.
Minister Shah said that financial assistance is being provided only after proper case verification, medical assessment and hospital validation. He directed that a Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal facilitation desk be established at NIRM, along with improvements in online case tracking and the introduction of a fully computerised administrative system.
He made it clear that no negligence would be tolerated and that Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal must resolve all medical assistance cases within one month, while emergency cases should be processed through an effective fast-track mechanism.
On the occasion, the federal minister also appreciated the Ramadan relief initiatives undertaken by the Benazir Income Support Programme under the leadership of its secretary, Amir Ahmed Ali, terming them timely and positive measures.
He said that the current government is advancing all social protection programmes in a coordinated and effective manner.
Minister announced that he would continue reviewing Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal initiatives by visiting other hospitals and universities across the country.He also pledged to visit Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan in the near future to further strengthen social protection and medical assistance systems at the grassroots level.
In conclusion, the federal minister Syed Imran Ahmed Shah commended the efforts of NIRM’s management, doctors, medical staff and the Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal team, saying the collaboration between the Ministry of Health and Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal stood as a successful example of integrating rehabilitation healthcare with social protection into a cohesive and effective system.