Health for All: PM Shehbaz Launches Revamped Health Card Scheme
— January 16, 2026
ISLAMABAD (AIA) Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif launched the Prime Minister’s Health Card Scheme, providing universal health coverage to residents of Islamabad Capital Territory, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Azad Jammu and Kashmir. The scheme aims to benefit around 10 million people in these regions.
Addressing the launch ceremony, PM Shehbaz emphasized that healthcare is a fundamental right of every Pakistani citizen and the government’s responsibility to provide it at their doorstep. He highlighted that this initiative revives the Health Card Scheme, first introduced by Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif in 2016.
The scheme is cashless, and beneficiaries can avail treatment at designated hospitals using their CNIC or B-Form (for children). The program is designed on a third-party insurance model, allowing tracked hospital admission transactions.
Health Minister Syed Mustafa Kamal announced that more hospitals will be included to facilitate residents. The scheme currently offers hospitalization services, with plans to include outpatient department and other healthcare services in the future.