The Punjab government has faced considerable financial losses due to underutilization of health cards in government hospitals.
Inefficiencies within the primary healthcare department are a major cause of this loss, despite the facility’s low usage.
In December last year, only 27,000 out of over 96,000 admitted patients were treated using the health card.
As a result, the government had to cover treatment costs for 71% of patients in December and January 2024.
In February 2024, health card admissions dropped by another 2%, leading to additional funding from the treasury to cover treatment expenses.
Additionally, the government is responsible for paying premiums to the State Life Insurance Company.
Ali Razzaq, CEO of Punjab Health Company, acknowledges the low usage of health cards and has instructed hospitals to increase their utilization.
Efforts are underway to boost the use of health cards in government hospitals, according to Razzaq.
