Punjab provides over Rs37 billion for free treatment at selected hospitals
The Punjab government has provided more than Rs37 billion for free treatment under several specialised health programmes. Health Minister Khawaja Salman Rafique said waiting lists have shrunk significantly.
For information only, not medical advice. Talk to a doctor about your own health.
- Punjab has provided over Rs37 billion for free treatment at selected hospitals.
- Programmes cover cardiac care, cancer, stroke, dialysis, transplants and children's heart surgery.
- Hospitals were told to cut patient waiting lists further.
The Punjab government has provided more than Rs37 billion for the free medical treatment of patients across several specialised health programmes at selected hospitals, according to reports from Business Recorder and ProPakistani.
Provincial Health Minister Khawaja Salman Rafique chaired a meeting on health sector measures in Lahore. He said "historic and foundational measures" were being taken in the health sector.
The minister said waiting lists for treatment in adult cardiac care, cancer, dialysis, stroke, paediatric heart surgery and transplants had reduced significantly. He credited the Chief Minister's special health programmes for this. Hospitals have been directed to speed up the reduction of waiting lists further.
Under the Chief Minister's Adult Cardiac Surgery Program, free treatment worth Rs3 billion a year is provided to heart patients. The Chief Minister's Special Initiative for Cancer Patients covers free diagnosis, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and surgical and medical therapies at an annual cost of Rs10 billion.
The Chief Minister's Special Initiative for Stroke Management provides free treatment worth about Rs1.25 billion a year to stroke patients. Under the Children's Heart Surgery Program, heart surgeries have been performed free of charge for more than 16,857 children across the province.
The minister also reviewed the administration and performance of the Nawaz Sharif Cardiology Centre in Murree and the Sahiwal Institute of Cardiology. The meeting examined the state of medical equipment and human resources in Punjab's cardiac hospitals.
The government procured modern machinery worth millions of rupees for the Murree centre for the first time in its history, and the centre now offers patient care through a fully functional Cath Lab. Punjab Health Secretary Azmat Mahmood said equipment procurement and deployment of human resources for cardiac hospitals were under way.
Why it matters
Patients in Punjab who cannot afford treatment at selected public hospitals can receive free care for heart disease, cancer and stroke funded by the province.
