PM Shehbaz revives health card scheme for Islamabad, AJK and Britain

• Health Card extended to ICT, AJK and Gilgit-Baltistan.
• PM promises transparent implementation through third-party monitoring.
• About 70 hospitals are to be strengthened across the country.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif revived and expanded the Health Card scheme in Islamabad, Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and Gilgit-Baltistan (GB), reaffirming the federal government’s commitment to providing quality healthcare as a fundamental right for every citizen, regardless of social or economic status.

Addressing the ceremony, the chief minister said the initiative marked another major step towards providing healthcare facilities at people’s doorsteps.

Recalling the launch of the program in 2016 under the leadership of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, he said the program was later quickly expanded to provinces. He emphasized that nothing was more valuable in life than health.

“If there is health, there is education, if there is health, there is decent employment, if there is health, there is progress in every area of ​​life,” he observed.

Chief Minister Shehbaz said that while the affluent sections of society can afford expensive healthcare anywhere in the world, the real test of the state lies in protecting the poor, widows, orphans and daily wage earners who are struggling to make ends meet.

“If a worker falls ill and leaves this world without treatment, his children are left in permanent darkness. Health care is the right of every Pakistani — whether he is a prime minister or a street vendor,” he said.

Congratulating Federal Health Minister Mustafa Kamal, the Health Secretary and their entire team, the Prime Minister urged transparent implementation through third-party monitoring to ensure treatment is provided in the right facilities and to the right standards.

He expressed confidence that sincere execution of the program will not only serve the people but also reward in this world and hereafter.

Hoping for speedy and effective implementation, the prime minister said the program would be personally monitored through visits and inspections in collaboration with Islamabad health leadership, MPs, Gilgit-Baltistan chief and AJK chief minister.

Responding to a request to extend the scheme to Sindh, he termed the proposal valid and assured that he would personally discuss the matter with the Sindh chief minister.

He noted that the program was progressing rapidly in Punjab with billions of rupees being spent on health care and congratulated the Punjab government for its efforts. He added that while other provinces had their own health initiatives, efforts would be made to ensure similar facilities across the country.

Earlier, Mustafa Kamal said the revamped scheme will provide free, cashless healthcare to nearly 10 million residents of the Capital Territory of Islamabad, Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan.

He said the program ensured that citizens could receive treatment without worrying about affordability in times of pain and distress.

Sharing operational details, Kamal said around 70 hospitals are being integrated with Prime Minister Health Card in Islamabad, AJK and Gilgit-Baltistan, including 20 additional hospitals in Islamabad alone.

He added that card holders from these areas living in Karachi will also be able to access treatment at 16 designated hospitals in the city.

He noted that Sindh remained the only province where the Prime Minister’s Health Card was yet to be operational, while Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan and the federal territories were already covered.

Referring to earlier proposals, he said a plan has been prepared covering 10 rural and urban areas of Sindh at an estimated cost of 24 billion rupees.

“If funding is provided for just two years, the program can become self-sustaining from the third year onwards,” he said, hoping that Sindh’s healthcare deprivation could also be addressed.