The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) government has announced a significant expansion of its Sehat Card Plus health insurance programme by including three major transplant procedures—kidney, liver, and bone marrow—under its coverage. In addition, the full cost of cochlear implants will now be borne by the government.
The decision was made during a high-level meeting chaired by the K-P Chief Minister. According to Provincial Information Adviser Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif, the government will now provide these transplant and implant services entirely free of charge, representing a major milestone in the province’s healthcare reforms.
“This is another groundbreaking step in line with the vision of the founding chairman,” Barrister Saif remarked, highlighting the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party’s ongoing efforts to improve public healthcare.
The expanded services will be available to all eligible citizens without any financial strain. The provincial health department has been directed to implement the changes immediately.
Plans are also underway to incorporate rehabilitation services for individuals recovering from drug addiction into the Sehat Card programme in the near future.
In a related move, the K-P government has approved new regulations that permit the cultivation and use of cannabis plants for medicinal, research, and industrial applications.
Previously, the government launched free Outpatient Department (OPD) services under the Sehat Card Plus scheme. This initiative was inaugurated by Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur at a ceremony held at the Chief Minister House.
The OPD services began as a pilot project in Mardan district, targeting 50,000 low-income households. In its next phase, the programme is set to expand to Chitral, Malakand, and Kohat districts, with the goal of eventually covering around 120,000 households identified through the Benazir Income Support Program (BISP) database.
