Punjab Government Allocates Over Rs37 Billion for Free Medical Treatment Across Province

• Punjab government has provided more than Rs37 billion for free medical treatment under special healthcare programmes covering heart diseases, cancer, stroke, dialysis and organ transplants.
• Over 16,857 children have received free heart surgeries under the Chief Minister’s Children’s Heart Surgery Programme.
• The provincial government is upgrading cardiac hospitals, introducing modern medical equipment and taking measures to reduce patient waiting lists.

The Punjab government has provided more than Rs37 billion to deliver free medical treatment to patients suffering from serious illnesses under various specialised healthcare programmes at selected hospitals across the province.

Provincial Health Minister Khawaja Salman Rafique announced the development while chairing a high-level meeting to review the performance of major healthcare initiatives and the availability of specialised medical services in Punjab.

The minister said the provincial government, under the leadership of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, was implementing major reforms to improve healthcare facilities and ensure that patients requiring expensive medical procedures could receive treatment without financial hardship.

He stated that the Chief Minister’s special healthcare programmes had significantly reduced waiting lists for several critical treatments, including adult cardiac surgery, cancer care, dialysis, stroke management, children’s heart surgery and organ transplants.

Under the Chief Minister’s Adult Cardiac Surgery Programme, the provincial government is providing free treatment worth approximately Rs3 billion annually to patients suffering from heart-related diseases.

The initiative aims to make specialised cardiac procedures accessible to patients who would otherwise face substantial treatment expenses.

Similarly, the Chief Minister’s Special Initiative for Cancer Patients is providing comprehensive cancer treatment services at an annual cost of Rs10 billion.

Under this programme, eligible cancer patients receive free diagnostic services, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, surgical procedures and other necessary medical treatments at designated healthcare facilities.

The government has also introduced the Chief Minister’s Special Initiative for Stroke Management, through which free treatment worth approximately Rs1.25 billion is being provided annually to stroke patients.

Khawaja Salman Rafique said the provincial administration was prioritising timely treatment for patients with life-threatening conditions and had directed hospitals to further accelerate efforts to reduce waiting lists.

Hospital administrations have been instructed to improve treatment arrangements for patients requiring cardiac procedures, cancer treatment, dialysis, stroke management, paediatric heart surgery and transplants.

Highlighting the achievements of the Chief Minister’s Children’s Heart Surgery Programme, the health minister revealed that more than 16,857 children across Punjab had undergone heart surgeries completely free of charge.

He said the programme was helping families access specialised paediatric cardiac treatment without bearing the financial burden of costly surgical procedures.

During the meeting, the health minister also conducted a detailed review of the administrative performance and healthcare facilities at the Nawaz Sharif Cardiology Centre in Murree and the Sahiwal Institute of Cardiology.

Officials briefed the minister on the availability of medical equipment, staffing requirements, hospital management and measures being taken to improve the quality of cardiac treatment.

Rafique said the provincial government was working to provide modern cardiac care facilities in accordance with Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif’s vision for improving public healthcare services.

He described the Nawaz Sharif Cardiology Centre as an important healthcare facility serving residents of Murree and surrounding areas.

According to the minister, the Punjab government has procured modern medical machinery worth millions of rupees for the hospital for the first time in its history, significantly improving its capacity to provide specialised cardiac treatment.

The hospital now has a fully operational cardiac catheterisation laboratory, commonly known as a Cath Lab, enabling doctors to perform specialised diagnostic and interventional cardiac procedures.

The minister also expressed satisfaction with the performance of the Sahiwal Institute of Cardiology, saying the facility was providing quality medical services to patients requiring specialised heart treatment.

Punjab Health Secretary Azmat Mahmood, who attended the meeting, briefed participants on ongoing measures to strengthen cardiac healthcare facilities across the province.

He said the Health Department was taking steps to procure advanced medical equipment, deploy qualified healthcare professionals and improve hospital infrastructure to ensure the availability of high-quality cardiac treatment.

The secretary added that improvements in medical resources, staffing and administrative arrangements were being prioritised to strengthen the delivery of specialised healthcare services at Punjab’s cardiac hospitals.