No more free treatment via health card
The Punjab Health Initiative Management Committee has officially ended free treatment under the health card programme across all public hospitals in the province, including Rawalpindi, effective from July 1, 2025. A formal circular notification has been issued to this effect.
The provincial health department has directed medical superintendents of public hospitals, district health officers, and heads of district health authorities across Punjab not to accept any documents related to free treatment from the start of the new fiscal year.
The relevant insurance company will also cease accepting any hospital documents for free medical services under the health card scheme from July 1. Ongoing treatments under the programme are considered terminated starting today.
In response to the directive, all government hospitals in the Rawalpindi region have begun discharging patients who were admitted under the health card scheme.
Patients have been advised to arrange funds for surgeries, dialysis, and cardiac procedures, including stent placements.
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