Health Card Launched by PM for Residents of Islamabad, AJK, and Gilgit-Baltistan

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Friday relaunched and extended the Prime Minister’s Health Card programme to Islamabad Capital Territory, Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), and Gilgit-Baltistan, reaffirming the federal government’s commitment to providing quality healthcare as a fundamental right for all citizens, regardless of social or economic status, ARY News reported.

Addressing the launch ceremony, attended by Federal Health Minister Mustafa Kamal, the Chief Minister of Gilgit-Baltistan, parliamentarians, and senior officials from Islamabad and AJK, this is a major step toward bringing healthcare services directly to the people.

Recalling the programme’s origin, PM Shehbaz Sharif said the health card scheme was first introduced in 2016 under former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and later expanded rapidly across provinces. He highlighted the importance of health, saying, “If there is health, there is education; if there is health, there is dignified employment; if there is health, there is progress in every field of life.”

The prime minister emphasized that while the wealthy can afford treatment anywhere in the world, the state’s true test lies in safeguarding the poor, widows, orphans, and daily wage earners. “Healthcare is the right of every Pakistani, whether a prime minister or a street vendor,” he said.

He congratulated Federal Health Minister Mustafa Kamal, Secretary Health, and their teams for reviving the programme, urging transparent implementation through third-party monitoring to ensure patients receive care at the right facilities and standards. He also announced that the programme would be personally overseen, with regular inspections and coordination with Islamabad’s health authorities, the Chief Ministers of Gilgit-Baltistan and AJK, and parliamentarians.

Responding to requests for expansion to Sindh, the prime minister called the proposal valid and promised to raise it personally with the provincial government. He noted that the programme is already progressing rapidly in Punjab, with billions spent on healthcare, and highlighted that similar facilities would be extended nationwide.

Federal Minister Mustafa Kamal said the revived programme would provide free, cashless healthcare to nearly 10 million residents of Islamabad, AJK, and Gilgit-Baltistan. He described the revival of the inactive programme within four to five weeks as a major administrative achievement. Kamal stressed that healthcare goes beyond treating illnesses, encompassing preventive care, safe childbirth, child vaccination, and access to clean water.

He shared operational details, stating that around 70 hospitals have been empanelled under the programme in these regions, including 20 new hospitals in Islamabad. Residents of these areas living in Karachi will also be able to access treatment at 16 designated hospitals in the city.

Kamal noted that Sindh remains the only province where the Prime Minister’s Health Card is not yet operational. He said a plan covering 10 rural and urban districts of Sindh with an estimated cost of Rs 24 billion has been prepared and could become self-sustaining from the third year onward if funding is approved.

The prime minister expressed hope that the programme would expand nationwide, bringing relief to millions of families, and concluded by praying for the success of the initiative and the prosperity of Pakistan.