The federal government has launched the PM Sehat Card in Gilgit-Baltistan and AJK, offering free healthcare coverage to all permanent residents of both regions.
Sehat Card Launched for Residents of G-B and AJK
Federal Minister for Health Syed Mustafa Kamal has announced the formal launch of the Prime Minister Sehat Card in Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B) and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), extending free healthcare coverage to all permanent residents of both regions. The move is part of the federal government’s wider effort to reduce the financial burden of medical treatment on families and ensure that even people living in remote areas can access essential health services without worrying about hospital bills.
The minister shared the development during a meeting with the Gilgit-Baltistan Provincial Health Minister and Information Minister, where officials reviewed the current state of health projects in the region. He said the federal government is utilising all available resources to improve healthcare services in G-B and highlighted that the Sehat Card initiative is a key pillar of this agenda. With the scheme now active, eligible residents will be able to seek treatment at enlisted hospitals and receive services free of cost under the programme’s coverage limits.
Free Healthcare Coverage for Permanent Residents
Under the PM Sehat Card scheme, all permanent residents of Gilgit-Baltistan and AJK will be able to benefit from cashless treatment at panel hospitals. This includes coverage for a range of inpatient services, major surgeries and other essential procedures that often place a heavy financial strain on low and middle-income households. By shifting these costs to the government-supported health insurance programme, policymakers hope to protect families from medical debt and the risk of being pushed below the poverty line due to illness.
Officials say the initiative is especially important in mountainous regions like G-B and AJK, where long distances, difficult terrain and harsh weather already make access to healthcare a challenge. In many cases, patients have to travel for hours to reach larger hospitals. Knowing that treatment will be covered under the Sehat Card can encourage more people to seek timely medical help instead of delaying visits due to cost fears. The programme is also expected to reduce the practice of selling assets or taking high-interest loans to pay for emergency treatment.
Focus on Improving Quality at Enlisted Hospitals
While announcing the launch, Syed Mustafa Kamal acknowledged that expanding coverage is only one part of the task. He stressed that there is a clear need to enhance the quality of services provided at hospitals enlisted under the Sehat Card programme. Simply having a card is not enough if patients face shortages of staff, equipment or medicines when they arrive at a facility.
The minister said the federal government is working with regional authorities to upgrade hospital capacity, improve management and ensure better monitoring of service delivery. He also stated that he will soon visit G-B and AJK personally to review the healthcare facilities being provided under the Health Card on the ground. These visits are expected to help identify gaps in infrastructure, staffing and patient handling so that corrective measures can be taken in coordination with local health departments.
Strengthening Health Services in Remote Regions
As part of the broader push to strengthen health services in Gilgit-Baltistan, the federal government has also provided three vehicles to support outreach and service delivery. These vehicles can be used for patient transport, medicine distribution or supervisory visits to far-flung facilities, depending on local needs. The support is intended to make it easier for health teams to reach communities that are scattered across valleys and high-altitude settlements.
Ministers from Gilgit-Baltistan expressed their gratitude to the federal health minister for extending the Prime Minister Sehat Card facilities to their region. They noted that the initiative has the potential to transform health outcomes by making treatment more affordable and predictable for ordinary citizens. Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to continue working together to address challenges in ongoing health projects, improve service quality and ensure that the promised benefits of the Sehat Card reach people at the grassroots level in both G-B and AJK.
