Federal Health Minister Mustafa Kamal said permanent residents of Islamabad, Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan will be able to access free treatment under the National Health Card, a move that will extend medical cover to nearly 10 million people without financial burden.
Speaking at the inauguration of the National Health Card launched by the Prime Minister, the minister cited World Health Organization findings that around 13 million Pakistanis have fallen below the poverty line because of illness-related expenses. He said the National Health Card will prevent poor families from being forced to travel in search of care or selling household goods to pay for treatment, and stressed that no child will be denied medical care because of poverty.
Mustafa Kamal said more than 1,000 public and private hospitals have been empanelled under the National Health Card so far, ensuring that emergency care and major surgical procedures will be available free of charge with dignity and ease. He credited the Prime Minister’s leadership for prioritising access so that no mother fears treatment costs.
The minister highlighted troubling disparities in Karachi, where access to services can differ for neighbours simply because of the address on their CNIC. He described the situation as an injustice and urged expansion of the National Health Card to include 10 urban and rural districts of Sindh in the next health budget, estimating an annual allocation of Rs. 24 billion. The Prime Minister has assured him the matter will be raised with the Sindh chief minister.
Mustafa Kamal also noted that Pakistan’s system has long been focused on treating sickness rather than preventing it. He said efforts are underway to shift from a sick care model to a comprehensive healthcare approach that emphasises prevention, equity and improved services for all citizens under the National Health Card programme.
