LAHORE: The Punjab government has decided to end Sehat Card services in public sector hospitals across the province, with the programme officially concluding on June 30, according to a notification issued to hospital administrators.
The Sehat Card, introduced during the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government, had provided free healthcare to millions of citizens through a health insurance model. However, under new policy directives, the provincial administration will now roll out alternative, specialised healthcare initiatives instead.
According to the Sehat Card Company’s letter addressed to medical superintendents, all services under the existing scheme are to be halted after June 30. Hospitals have been instructed to cease processing or admitting patients under the Sehat Card framework beyond the cutoff date.
In its place, the Punjab government has introduced a series of focused healthcare programs under the supervision of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz. These include newly established health cards for specific high-cost treatments such as corneal and cochlear implants, bone marrow, kidney, and liver transplants, as well as dialysis procedures.
A dedicated Child Card Surgery initiative will also be launched, designed exclusively for pediatric heart surgeries, health officials confirmed.
Officials from the provincial health department have reassured the public that despite the termination of Sehat Card services, patients will not be left without support. The new programs aim to deliver more targeted, need-based care to patients across Punjab.
The government maintains that this transition will streamline public health expenditure and ensure better access to critical treatments for those most in need.
