Punjab has told private hospitals that are part of the Health Insurance Programme to cease accepting new patients and approving treatments for a number of inpatient services starting Tuesday, according to sources. The stoppage covers general surgery, orthopaedic and neurosurgery, among other procedures, and will remain until funds are allocated.
Representatives from the Punjab Health Initiative Management Company (PHIMC) rejected claims that the programme has been shut down. A senior official affirmed that the scheme is still running and that the directive stems from a delay in fund release. PHIMC is liaising with the Planning and Development Board to speed up the disbursement.
Dialysis, cancer care, cardiac surgeries and transplant programmes are not subject to the halt. Hospitals have been instructed to continue admitting patients covered by these specific programmes.
Patients unable to secure the necessary authorisations may need to defer treatment or cover the costs themselves. The provincial budget for fiscal year 2026-27 earmarks Rs29 billion for the Health Card programme within an overall health sector allocation of Rs500.62 billion.
PHIMC officials noted that the programme still functions through empanelled private hospitals. They added that it was previously discontinued in government hospitals due to an earlier policy shift, though treatment there remains accessible through existing public healthcare arrangements.
