Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif Launches “Prime Minister Sehat Card” for Free Healthcare
Islamabad: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has formally launched the Prime Minister Sehat Card programme, aimed at providing free medical treatment to residents of Islamabad, Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), and Gilgit-Baltistan.
Addressing the inauguration ceremony, the Prime Minister said the launch of the Sehat Card reflects the government’s continued commitment to public welfare and ensuring access to healthcare facilities at people’s doorsteps. He emphasized that health is the most valuable asset of life, adding that progress in education, sports, and other sectors is only possible if citizens are healthy.
He noted that while the affluent can afford expensive treatment abroad, access to healthcare remains a major challenge for the common man, laborers, and the underprivileged, making the Sehat Card programme critically important. The Prime Minister also directed that transparency in the programme be ensured through third-party oversight.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said that the proposal to extend the Sehat Card programme to Sindh is under consideration, and discussions will be held with the Chief Minister of Sindh to find a workable solution so that people there can also benefit. He added that health-related programmes are already being successfully implemented in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, and Punjab, with billions of rupees being spent on public healthcare.
Speaking on the occasion, Chief Executive Officer of the Prime Minister Sehat Card Programme, Muhammad Arshad Qaimkhani, said the programme, which began in 2016, has now evolved into a model of universal health coverage. He shared that poverty surveys indicate 66 percent of people fall below the poverty line due to their inability to bear medical expenses.
He said that under the programme, cashless treatment will be available at more than 600 public and private hospitals. National identity cards and children’s B-Forms can be used as Sehat Cards, ensuring free healthcare access for every Pakistani from the mountains of Gilgit to the shores of Gwadar.
Federal Health Minister Mustafa Kamal, in his address, said that permanent residents of Islamabad, AJK, and Gilgit-Baltistan will benefit from free healthcare facilities, covering nearly 10 million people. Citing World Health Organization data, he said around 13 million Pakistanis have slipped into poverty due to illness-related expenses.
Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif addressing the launching ceremony of PM's Health Card scheme. pic.twitter.com/nlxCiomrOr
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He added that the Sehat Card will spare poor families from selling household items or jewelry for medical treatment, ensuring that no child is deprived of healthcare due to poverty. More than 1,000 public and private hospitals are currently empaneled under the programme.
Mustafa Kamal requested the Prime Minister to include 10 urban and rural districts of Sindh in the next health budget, noting that it would require an annual allocation of approximately Rs24 billion. He highlighted disparities in Karachi, where some residents receive free treatment while others do not due to differences in identity card registration. In response, the Prime Minister assured that he would take up the matter with the Chief Minister of Sindh.
The Health Minister also stressed the need to transform Pakistan’s healthcare system from a “sick-care” model to a comprehensive healthcare system focused on prevention as well as treatment, adding that practical steps are already underway in this direction.
At the conclusion of the ceremony, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif distributed Prime Minister Sehat Cards for residents of Islamabad, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and Gilgit-Baltistan.
