West Bengal’s Finance Department has made it mandatory for all WBHS employees and pensioners to surrender their Swasthya Sathi and Ayushman Bharat cards by 31 October 2026. The order, Memo No. 92-F(MED)WB, was issued by the Medical Cell on 9 October 2026. The notification covers every employee, pensioner and family pensioner enrolled under the West Bengal Health Scheme (WBHS), including AIS officers, along with their dependent family members holding these cards. Failure to comply can lead to temporary suspension of WBHS medical benefits and departmental action for indiscipline.
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A Deadline Squeezed by Puja Holidays
The order gives till 31 October, but the actual working window is tiny. Offices are closed on 10-11 October for the weekend, and then shut again from 15 to 26 October for Durga Puja.
| Date | Status |
|---|---|
| 9 October 2026 | Order issued |
| 10-11 October | Weekly holiday |
| 15-26 October | Durga Puja holidays |
| 31 October (Saturday) | Final submission deadline |
| 31 December 2026 (demanded) | New deadline sought by employee bodies |
As per the source, this leaves only about 6 to 7 actual working days for employees to get their cards cancelled through local BDO offices, municipalities or health departments and submit proof at their own office.
What It Means for Employees
This order does not touch your salary directly, but it can disrupt your access to cashless treatment. If the surrender and Annexure-A declaration aren’t submitted on time, your WBHS medical benefits could be put on hold, meaning you might have to pay out of pocket before claiming reimbursement later.
Employees posted far from their home district face a genuine problem, since visiting local offices to cancel old cards within this short window isn’t easy. Those who already surrendered cards earlier but have lost the Acknowledgement Slip have no clear guidance on what alternate proof to submit, as the order does not spell out an SOP for this.
Questions also remain open on the Mukhyamantri Swasthya Bima Yojana (MMSBY), cards held before joining government service, and cards transferred after marriage. The order does not clarify these situations.
What Employees Must Do
- Who is affected: All WBHS-enrolled employees, AIS officers, pensioners and family pensioners holding Swasthya Sathi or Ayushman Bharat cards in their name or a dependent’s.
- By when: Immediately, and completed before 31 October 2026.
- What to do: Surrender the card to the issuing authority and submit the Acknowledgement Slip with the Annexure-A declaration, serving employees to their Head of Office, pensioners to their claim-settling office.
- If missed: WBHS medical benefits may be suspended temporarily, with disciplinary action possible.
- Still unclear: MMSBY, marriage-related card transfers, pre-joining enrolment, and lost-card procedures await a clarificatory memo.
Employee bodies are pressing for the deadline to move to 31 December 2026, for surrender to be allowed through the posting office or an online WBHS portal, and for a clear SOP on lost cards. wbpay.in will update this report if the Finance Department issues any revision.
Source: West Bengal Finance Department, Medical Cell, Memo No. 92-F(MED)WB dated 09.10.2026
