QUETTA: The Balochistan government has released Rs2.25 billion for the Health Card Program.
According to the Finance Department, the insurance company managing the program was owed nearly Rs5 billion, which had led several hospitals in Karachi to suspend treatment of patients under the Health Card scheme.
The Finance Department stated that Chief Minister Balochistan, Mir Sarfraz Bugti, took notice of the delayed payments for the program.
Following his instructions, the Finance Department released Rs2.25 billion to the insurance company.
Officials added that with this payment, treatment of patients under the Health Card Program will resume immediately.
The Health Card in Pakistan, widely known as the Sehat Card or Sehat Sahulat Program, is a major government initiative aimed at providing free medical treatment to citizens, particularly for hospitalization and serious illnesses.
Originally launched in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in 2015, the program has gradually expanded across the country with the goal of achieving universal health coverage, especially for low-income and vulnerable families.
Under this scheme, eligible individuals receive cashless treatment at both public and private hospitals that are empanelled with the program.
The coverage includes a wide range of services such as emergency care, surgeries, diagnostics, cancer treatment, heart diseases, kidney problems including dialysis and transplants, maternity services, hepatitis treatment, and complications arising from diabetes and other chronic conditions.
In most cases, families are entitled to an annual treatment limit of up to one million rupees, with separate ceilings sometimes applied for secondary and tertiary care, and additional top-ups available for critical illnesses.
Pre-existing diseases are generally covered without any exclusion.
The system is largely portable, meaning the card or eligibility can be used at panel hospitals anywhere in Pakistan.
In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the program is called Sehat Card Plus and provides universal coverage to all residents holding a valid CNIC, with no income-based restrictions.
In Punjab, it is managed by the Punjab Health Initiative Management Company and primarily targets underprivileged families identified through poverty scoring or the BISP survey, though expansion efforts continue.
The federal government has recently restored the program for Islamabad Capital Territory, Azad Jammu & Kashmir, and Gilgit-Baltistan, benefiting millions of residents with services resuming in January 2026.
Sindh and Balochistan have partial implementation in selected districts with ongoing efforts to broaden access.
To check eligibility, people can send their CNIC number via SMS to 8500 or visit the official website, while in KP the CNIC itself serves as the health card.
At hospitals, patients simply present their CNIC at the Sehat Sahulat desk for pre-authorization and free treatment.
This program has significantly reduced the financial burden of medical emergencies for millions of families and is considered one of Pakistan’s most important social welfare reforms in the healthcare sector.
For the most current details, it is always advisable to verify through official government sources as rules and coverage can vary slightly by province and continue to evolve over time.
