The Punjab government has launched a major health initiative to provide free Cardiac Surgery services to patients. The program was approved by Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz. It aims to improve access to treatment for heart disease across the province.
The new program is called the Chief Minister’s Adult Cardiac Surgery Program. It will offer free treatment to patients suffering from serious heart conditions. According to officials, the government will spend more than Rs3 billion each year on this initiative.
A key meeting was held at the Punjab Health Initiative Management Company to finalize the launch. Important health officials attended the meeting. These included cardiology experts and senior government representatives. They discussed how to ensure smooth implementation of the program.
Provincial Health Minister Khawaja Salman Rafique said the government is taking strong steps in the health sector. He added that this program reflects the leadership’s commitment to public welfare. He also praised the efforts of experts and officials who helped design the plan.
In its first phase, the program includes nine public hospitals and 15 private hospitals. These hospitals will provide Cardiac Surgery and related treatments. Major government institutions are part of the program. These include Punjab Institute of Cardiology and Rawalpindi Institute of Cardiology, among others.
The government plans to add more hospitals in the future. This will improve access to care for patients in different regions. Officials also said that public hospitals will be upgraded to handle more cases.
One major goal of the program is to reduce waiting times. Many patients currently wait long periods for Cardiac Surgery. With this initiative, more procedures will be available without delay.
Under the policy, government hospitals will act as primary centers for registration and treatment. Patients may be referred to private hospitals if needed. These referrals will be made by a team of medical experts to ensure proper care.
Each patient will receive coverage of up to Rs1 million per year. A special reserve fund will also be available for complex cases. This ensures that patients with higher treatment costs can still receive care.
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An IT-based dashboard will be introduced to monitor the program. This will help maintain transparency and improve efficiency. Officials believe the initiative will save thousands of lives in Punjab.
