The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has announced the reinstatement of free organ transplants and cochlear implants under the Sehat Card Plus (SCP) program.
These services had been discontinued by the caretaker government in early 2023 due to budget constraints, according to officials cited by Dawn.com.
With the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party back in power, known for launching the SCP initiative, the program is being revived. Authorities confirmed that, in addition to resuming liver and renal transplants, plans are underway to extend cashless medical services to cover bone marrow transplants, free thalassemia treatment, and cochlear implants—medical procedures that are costly and inaccessible for many people.
Earlier, the health department had suggested setting up a Rs1 billion endowment fund to generate profits that would be used to finance organ transplants. Last week, Rs100 million was released for this initiative, but final approval from the chief minister remains pending.
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Officials also reported that the SCP program is now fully functional, with the State Life Insurance Corporation, which manages the scheme, receiving consistent government funding. This marks a significant improvement compared to the caretaker government period, during which funds were slashed and eventually halted.
Since the program’s relaunch on March 12, 2024, approximately 960,000 patients have received medical treatment, totaling an expenditure of Rs30 billion.
