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Treatment in public hospitals across Punjab is no longer free, following the provincial government’s decision to halt the health card programme starting July 1, 2025. The sudden move has left patients scrambling to arrange money for critical medical procedures.
The Punjab Health Initiative Management Committee has formally issued a notification ending all free treatment in public hospitals under the health card scheme. The provincial health department has directed medical superintendents, district health officers, and heads of district health authorities not to accept any documents tied to the discontinued programme from the new fiscal year onward.
Additionally, the insurance company managing the scheme will also stop processing hospital paperwork for treatment in public hospitals under the former health card coverage. This means all ongoing medical cases have effectively been terminated as of today.
Hospitals Begin Discharging Patients as Programme Ends
In immediate response, government hospitals across the Rawalpindi region have begun discharging patients who were admitted under the now-defunct scheme. Patients who relied on treatment in public hospitals through this facility are being told to arrange funds for essential surgeries, dialysis sessions, and cardiac procedures such as stent placements.
The abrupt suspension of free treatment in public hospitals has sparked anxiety among low-income families who depended heavily on the health card programme to cover costly medical needs. Many fear they may now have to forego vital treatments altogether.
Healthcare experts warn the policy change could overwhelm emergency services and lead to a surge in untreated cases, as countless patients are unable to afford private care or even hospital fees for basic procedures.
The move comes at a time when the cost of living is already climbing, and public resources remain stretched thin. While the government has yet to announce any replacement initiative, patients and their families continue to bear the burden, unsure how they will manage life-saving treatments without financial support.
