Punjab Health Card stays open as fund delay hits surgeries
Private hospitals must stop new approvals for general, orthopaedic and neurosurgery under the Health Insurance Programme until funds are released; dialysis, cancer, cardiac and transplant care stay covered.
From Tuesday, participating private hospitals must stop new admissions and treatment approvals for several inpatient services under Punjab’s Health Insurance Programme.
Affected care includes general surgery, orthopaedic and neurosurgery; continuation depends on fund allocation.
PHIMC says the Punjab Health Card has not been discontinued and links the pause to a delay in fund release.
Dialysis, cancer treatment, cardiac surgeries and transplant programmes remain exempt; hospitals must not refuse those patients.
The 2026-27 provincial budget allocates Rs29 billion to the Health Card within a Rs500.62 billion health sector outlay.