Over Rs. 28 Billion in Irregularities Uncovered in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Sehat Sahulat Card Program

Peshawar:Following earlier corruption reports in Kohistan and the Citizen Improvement Project, a major financial scandal involving over Rs. 28 billion has surfaced in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s flagship health initiative — the Sehat Sahulat Card Program.
The revelation comes from the Auditor General of Pakistan’s audit report covering the period from 2017-18 to 2021-22. The report highlights financial irregularities worth Rs. 28.61 billion in the health department during the tenure of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government.
Key findings include:
**Unregistered Hospitals Paid Billions:** The Sehat Card program made payments to private hospitals that were not registered with the Healthcare Commission, a clear violation of the agreement made with State Life Insurance. Out of 48 hospitals listed under the program in 10 districts, 17 were unregistered but still received payments.
**Massive Payments to Unregistered Hospitals in Swat:** Two hospitals — Anwar Hospital and Kings International Hospital — were paid over Rs. 1.028 billion each despite not being registered with the Healthcare Commission.
Unaccounted Tax Deductions: From 2017 to 2022, Rs. 27.01 billion was paid to State Life Insurance, of which Rs. 2.16 billion in income tax (8%) was never deducted, causing a direct loss to the national treasury.
Excessive and Unnecessary Hiring: In 32 district headquarter hospitals, security and janitorial staff were recruited without proper need assessments, costing Rs. 824 million.
Suspended Outsourcing & Misused Reform Funds: In February 2023, outsourced services were suspended. Additionally, of the Rs. 2.071 billion allocated for non-teaching hospital reforms, Rs. 468 million was spent on questionable procurement and security services.
**Violation of Procurement Laws:** Purchases worth Rs. 198 million were made without public tender advertisements, favoring a specific company — in clear violation of KP Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (KPPRA) rules.
**Stalled Infrastructure Projects:** Rs. 2.4 billion was approved for infrastructure upgrades in DHQ hospitals. Of this, Rs. 1.072 billion was paid in advance to Punjab’s Infrastructure Development Authority by June 2022, yet no work had begun as of April 2023.
**Preference for Private Hospitals:** In 2021, 69% of patients under the Sehat Card Plus Program chose private hospitals, which billed significantly more per patient than public facilities. For example, Sardar Khan Private Hospital in Swabi treated 14,999 patients and claimed Rs. 882.7 million, while the government-run Bacha Khan Medical Complex treated twice as many (29,911 patients) and claimed only Rs. 338.2 million.
The audit paints a grim picture of mismanagement, non-compliance, and potential corruption in a healthcare program meant to provide equitable medical access. Further investigations are likely to follow.