CM Gandapur launches free OPD services under Sehat Card

PESHAWAR: The Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Thursday took a major decision to expand access to healthcare services for deserving families by offering free outpatient department (OPD) services under the Sehat Card Plus program.

Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur inaugurated this initiative in a ceremony attended by provincial ministers, lawmakers, and health officials, thus marking an important milestone within the province’s healthcare history.

The program will start with a pilot phase in Mardan covering 50,000 low-income households, and it will gradually extend to Chitral, Malakand, and Kohat through another 120,000 families based on Benazir Income Support Program (BISP) data.

Under the scheme, eligible patients shall receive free consultation with a physician besides medicines, and diagnostic tests at hospitals on the Sehat Card panel, as well as Basic Health Units (BHUs) and Rural Health Centers (RHCs) at the Union Council level.

This has been possible due to the technical and financial support of the German organization KfW, and it is expected to cover a significant area beyond the current target of 50,000 families.

Gandapur highlighted that K-P is the first province to introduce free OPD facilities under the Sehat Card, thus representing a vital step in the realization of the commitment needed for the improvement of public healthcare, so that admitted and OPD patients should be treated without the financial burden falling back on them.

The Sehat Card Plus program is a decided move by the government to provide healthcare services of quality to every citizen on an equal basis irrespective of their financial standing.

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government’s initiative marks a pivotal moment toward a more equitable and accessible healthcare system.