- CM’s Advisor on Finance stresses health remains a top priority for PTI govt, noting former CM Gandapur had restored Sehat Card Plus facility
- Says Rs41b allocated for Sehat Card in current fiscal year against Rs36b last year
PESHAWAR: Advisor to KP Chief Minister on Finance and Health Reforms Muzzammil Aslam said on Sunday that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister had approved the immediate release of Rs3 billion for the Sehat Card Plus programme, reaffirming the government’s commitment to free healthcare under Imran Khan’s vision of “treatment for all.”
Issuing a statement regarding the release notification, Aslam said the Chief Minister received a detailed briefing on the Sehat Card and directed the Finance Department to ensure swift disbursement of funds. “Acting on these directives, the Finance Department has now issued the release order,” he confirmed.
The advisor stressed that health remains a top priority for the PTI-led government, noting that former Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur had restored the Sehat Card Plus facility immediately after taking oath.
He said that during the current fiscal year, the Finance Department has allocated Rs41 billion for the program—up from Rs36 billion last year—and that Rs9.65 billion has already been released in the first four months of FY2025.
Rejecting “baseless” social media reports about suspension of the scheme, Aslam clarified that payments to hospitals are continuing smoothly and that both public and private hospitals across the province are providing services under the Sehat Card programme.
He added that the Khyber Teaching Hospital (KTH) has also confirmed that its temporarily suspended Sehat Sahulat Card services have been fully restored, and all admitted patients are now receiving free treatment facilities.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Aslam said that from March 1, 2024, to June 30, 2025, the Finance Department had provided Rs40 billion for the Sehat Card, while an additional Rs9.65 billion had been released from July to October 2025, taking total spending since March 2024 to nearly Rs50 billion.
Highlighting the scale of investment, he said no province in Pakistan matches KP’s health expenditure, which constitutes 15% of the province’s total budget. “We are determined to make further investments in the health sector to ensure quality healthcare for every citizen,” he added.
