Analyzing The Influence Of The Sehat Insaf Card On Political Preferences In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Abstract

Analysing lived experiences and available data, the presented project investigates the intersections of Social Welfare Programs and Political Behaviour in the developing democracies, particularly, Pakistan's Sehat Insaf Card project. The Sehat Insaf Card (SIC) program is a universal health insurance program for the underinsured initiated by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government, which aims to eliminate financial barriers to access essential healthcare. As designed to enhance the welfare of the public, loyalty to the ruling government might be influenced by such initiatives. To date, no systematic studies have investigated the relationship between healthcare welfare and voting in the Pakistani democratic contextual healthcare system. The current study employed a quantitative approach, collecting data from 400 randomly sampled beneficiaries in Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, through simple random sampling. The study employed regression analysis for the estimation of the votes affected by the healthcare system. The study identified improvement in health (especially the targeted healthcare services), political activism (awareness), economic improvement and stability, and financial security, and political loyalty to the ruling party and were the determining factors. On the other hand, trust in the government and satisfaction and services (of the healthcare system) were statistically insignificant. This study suggests that the perceived welfare benefits and the existing political orientation were more significant than the lived experience of engaging in the healthcare system. The Sehat Insaf Card (SIC) improved healthcare service access and financial barrier protection, but for most, the political impact is shallow, and it exacerbated existing political loyalty structures.

The study suggests and recommends depoliticising the distribution of social supports, at the same time ensuring accessibility of and encouraging public civic education, in their attempt at broadening democracy, social equitable protection, and accountability within Pakistan.