Around 300,000 residents of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have received free medical treatment outside the province under the Sehat Card Plus health insurance program, according to official documents.
The records show that since the program’s launch in 2016, more than five million people have availed treatment worth Rs. 150 billion through the scheme. Patients can access cashless treatment and diagnostic services at 700 empaneled hospitals nationwide using Khyber Pakhtunkhwa-issued national identity cards.
Of the total beneficiaries, 294,287 patients sought treatment in other regions. Most traveled to Punjab, followed by Islamabad, Karachi, and Balochistan, while a smaller number received care in Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
The provincial government paid Rs. 1.229 billion to hospitals outside Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for these treatments. Health department officials said many beneficiaries lived outside the province for work, while others required procedures unavailable locally.
The program also covers free organ transplants, including renal, liver, and cochlear procedures. Officials said 235 renal, 80 liver, and 71 cochlear transplants were performed under the scheme.
The Sehat Card Plus program now covers 11 million families, allowing free treatment of up to Rs. 1 million per family per year anywhere in Pakistan.
