AJK residents plead for health card restoration

With rising treatment costs, residents urge authorities for affordable care

MUZAFFARABAD:

Residents of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) are calling on the government to prioritise the restoration of health cards, similar to initiatives in other provinces.

Although health cards have been issued in AJK, they remain inactive for treatment within the region and for residents who have moved to other provinces.

Dr Tariq, a consultant cardiothoracic surgeon at a private medical institute and cardiac hospital, stressed that middle-class and low-income individuals struggle to afford costly treatments without the health card.

He urged the AJK government to take immediate action to reactivate the cards for the general public, especially the needy.

Zohaib Khan, a resident of Rawalakot, shared his family's plight, stating that his father suffers from heart disease and their household has no income to cover the treatment costs.

"The health card was a blessing, but we cannot understand why it has not been restored in AJK," he lamented.

Residents are appealing to both the federal and AJK governments to reinstate the Health Card program, which aims to provide up to one million rupees in free medical care to underprivileged patients in AJK.

Farooq Khan, another resident from Abbaspur, highlighted the financial burden of heart surgery, estimating costs at over two million rupees.

He noted that while the health card's limit is ten lakh rupees, it is still a critical resource for economically disadvantaged families.

Khan further remarked that beyond heart disease, many other health conditions could also be treated using these health cards.

With more than five per cent of the population suffering from heart ailments, the rising cost of living has made medical care increasingly inaccessible.

The community has once again appealed to Prime Minister of AJK Anwarul Haq to restore the health card initiative across the region to ensure affordable medical facilities for all.