Revival of Health Card Program in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Brings Relief to Patients

With the government restarting the health card program, patients look forward to continued cost-free treatment and improved facilities.

The restoration of free treatment on the health card proves to be a blessing for patients in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, offering financial relief and accessible healthcare.

In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the health card program offering free treatment has been reinstated today. Gulzar, a kidney patient at Headquarters Khar Hospital Bajaur, expressed gratitude for the renewed health card benefits, especially for dialysis treatments. Patients like him faced difficulties during the program's suspension, and the revival brought hope for accessible and free healthcare.

Patients undergoing dialysis at Al-Shifa Center in Khar highlighted the advantages they previously enjoyed, including twice-weekly sessions and travel fare covered through the health card. With the government restarting the health card program, patients look forward to continued cost-free treatment and improved facilities.

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Ruqayya Bibi, from Upper Mamund, shared her relief at being able to afford treatment for a nose bone problem through the health card. Without the health card, the treatment cost would have been around 60 thousand rupees, but now she anticipates receiving medicines at no cost, a significant relief for her working-class family.

Umar Hayat, Health Facilitator Officer of Health Card in Bajaur, explained that four hospitals in the region are now part of the Health Card program. After a temporary hiatus, the government has relaunched the initiative, benefitting patients in government and private hospitals.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Provincial Health Minister, Syed Qasim Ali Shah, announced the official launch of the health card program, emphasizing its people-friendly nature. The restoration, initiated on the 1st of Ramadan, aims to provide free treatment to the people and address healthcare challenges.

In response to directives from the Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the health card program has been reinstated in the province starting from the 1st of Ramadan. Upon assuming office, Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, recognizing the challenges faced by the public, promptly declared the revival of the health card program on the 1st of Ramadan and successfully resolved issues with the private insurance corporation through its implementation.

Notably, the private insurance corporation had accumulated arrears exceeding 17 billion rupees, leading to multiple suspensions of the health card service last year. The government has committed to settling these outstanding dues, initiating the process by allocating Rs 5 billion to the private company in the first phase. Subsequent monthly payments of Rs 3 billion are scheduled to cover the remaining arrears, ensuring the seamless continuation of health card services.