ABSTRACT
Health micro insurance was a joint initiative of National Rural Support Programme (NRSP) and Adamjee Insurance Company. NRSP had successfully organized thousands of communities in rural areas and administered its micro credit programme through its community organizations. These communities could also serve as a mechanism for introducing and efficiently running a health micro insurance programme. After intense discussions and careful calculations, it was decided to pilot test the programme. If it succeeded, it had an answer for universal health coverage to the poor. Pakistani philanthropists responded to the paucity of healthcare services by providing free medical care. There are a large number of small, medium and large philanthropic healthcare facilities that cater to the needs of the deprived and low-income sections of the population. Many NGOs looking for a systemic response have tested various social enterprise models which might be expanded through self-replication or public sector extension based on field-level success. This search for alternatives started in the 1970s.
