All 15 certified hospitals in Rawalpindi district have ceased offering free medical care for up to Rs. 1 million under the Sehat Sahulat Card, a government health insurance plan.
These hospitals’ free treatment counters have also been closed, and patients getting free kidney dialysis, heart surgeries, cancer therapy, and treatment for other chronic health conditions on their health insurance cards have been discharged early.
Scheduled dialysis and operations for the patients have also been canceled, prompting protests and calls from their families to continue the existing medical treatments and procedures.
The Punjab interim government has halted all funding for the medical insurance card plan, which includes free treatment, free medicine, procedures, and dialysis for heads of households earning less than Rs. 1 million.
40,000 patients were given free care during this time period, while 12,000 patients were undergoing therapy and their treatments and dialyzes were awaiting, all of which have now been canceled.
Wasiq Qayyum, the former deputy speaker of the Punjab Assembly, questioned the move, claiming that a provisional administration has limited authority and no ability to cancel the health card, which was launched by legislation passed in the Punjab Assembly.
He pledged to make an appeal to the Rawalpindi circuit of the Lahore High Court and declared that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) will reinstate free healthcare and would even go to the Supreme Court of Pakistan if necessary.
