KP to Add More Hospitals to Health Card Program

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has decided to expand free healthcare under the Sehat Card Scheme by adding more public and private hospitals to its network.

Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur has instructed the relevant departments to hold a policy board meeting to finalize the inclusion of hospitals that meet Sehat Card Scheme standards. The directives were issued during a Health Department meeting chaired by the chief minister on Monday, according to an official statement.

The meeting was attended by the Chief Minister’s Health Advisor Ehtesham Ali, Additional Chief Secretary for Planning and Development Ikramullah Khan, Health Secretary Syed Adeel Shah, and other officials from the Health Department, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Health Foundation, and Sehat Card Plus.

Discussions covered adding more hospitals to the Sehat Card Scheme, outsourcing healthcare facilities in remote districts, implementing health sector reforms, and other key matters. The meeting also reviewed financial obligations related to outsourced public hospitals and directed the Finance Department to settle these dues to quickly restore healthcare services in affected hospitals.

In line with the provincial cabinet’s decision, the meeting also explored the outsourcing of additional hospitals through the Health Foundation and tasked the Health Department with developing proposals for further outsourcing under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model by next month.

It was decided to simplify the existing hospital outsourcing process by amending relevant legal frameworks and establishing a steering committee, chaired by the chief minister, to streamline outsourcing efforts.

The meeting also approved a partnership with Roche Pharmaceuticals to provide free medication for children with hemophilia, with costs shared between the provincial government and Roche. The chief minister emphasized ongoing efforts to strengthen primary healthcare centers.

He noted that outsourcing hospitals through the PPP model has shown positive results, and this approach will be enhanced to ensure quality healthcare services reach residents in remote areas.