LAHORE: Provincial Health Minister Khawaja Salman Rafique said that under the Chief Minister’s Children’s Heart Surgery Programme, more than 8,000 innocent children have been completely free-of-cost heart surgeries across the province at a cost of billions of rupees. Under the CM’s Children’s Heart Surgery Programme, hundreds of children from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 192 from Azad Kashmir, 85 from Islamabad, 25 from Balochistan, 23 from Gilgit-Baltistan and 17 from Sindh have been completely free of cost cardiac surgeries in Punjab.
He shared this information while addressing an important meeting regarding the Chief Minister’s Health Initiatives, in which Secretary Health Punjab Azmat Mahmood Khan participated through video link.
During the meeting, a detailed review of the Chief Minister’s Children’s Heart Surgery Programme, Chief Minister’s Dialysis Programme and Chief Minister’s Special Initiative for Transplant Programme was taken. Dr Adnan Khan and Chairman Punjab Chief Minister’s Advisory Committee for Cardiology Dr Farqad Alamgir, Vice Chancellor University of Child Health Sciences Prof Masood Sadiq, CEO Punjab Health Initiative Management Company Dr Ali Razaq, Executive Director Punjab Institute of Cardiology Lahore Prof Bilal Mohiuddin, Executive Director Multan Institute of Cardiology Prof Hamid Saeed, Executive Director Rawalpindi Institute of Cardiology and MS Wazirabad Institute of Cardiology Dr. Faisal and other officers attended the meeting.
Khawaja Salman Rafique was briefed during the meeting about the monitoring framework of the three health projects, service delivery and steps taken for the convenience of patients. Public feedback regarding the three new and unique health projects was also reviewed during the meeting.
Addressing the meeting, Provincial Health Minister Khawaja Salman Rafique stressed the importance of ensuring transparency in the three flagship Programmes, improving the quality of service and ensuring the best monitoring for the convenience of patients. He said on this occasion that maximum facilities should be provided to patients in the empaneled hospitals. Authorities concerned have been directed to resolve the problems faced by the patients on priority basis in empanaled hospitals.
He further informed that under the Chief Minister’s Special Initiative for Transplant Programme, 432 renal transplants, 216 cochlear, 139 liver, 16 bone marrow and 5 corneal transplants have been done completely free of cost. Under the Chief Minister’s Dialysis Programme, more than 9.5 lacs patients have been completely free of cost dialysis in 211 hospitals. “More than 28,000 patients have been registered in hospitals for dialysis under the Chief Minister’s Dialysis Programme so far. All resources are being utilized to provide the best health facilities to the people of Punjab”.
Published in The NEWS on November 9, 2025.
