The Punjab government has formally launched an adult cardiac surgery programme approved by Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, offering free treatment worth more than Rs3 billion annually for heart disease patients across the province. The initiative begins with a first phase that empanels nine government cardiac centres alongside 15 private hospitals to broaden access and reduce waiting lists for adult cardiac surgery.
The nine government cardiac institutions in the initial phase include Punjab Institute of Cardiology Lahore, Rawalpindi Institute of Cardiology Rawalpindi, Quaid-e-Azam Medical College Bahawalpur, Sardar Fateh Muhammad Khan Institute of Cardiology Dera Ghazi Khan, Faisalabad Institute of Cardiology Faisalabad, Sahiwal Institute of Cardiology Sahiwal, Sheikh Zayed Hospital and Medical College Rahim Yar Khan, Multan Institute of Cardiology Multan and Wazirabad Institute of Cardiology Wazirabad. Additional hospitals will be empanelled and government centres will receive upgrades under the programme to improve capacity and services.
Government cardiac institutions will serve as primary registration and treatment centres, with referrals to private hospitals allowed only after review by a Multidisciplinary Team to ensure appropriate placement of cases. Annual coverage per patient has been set at Rs1 million, and a reserve fund will be available for patients whose prescribed package ends during treatment or whose complex cases exceed standard package limits.
The launch was announced at a meeting hosted by the Punjab Health Initiative Management Company attended by Chairman Punjab Chief Minister’s Advisory Committee for Cardiology Dr. Farqad Alamgir, Secretary Specialized Healthcare and Medical Education Azmat Mahmood, CEO Punjab Health Initiative Management Company Dr. Ali Razaq and other senior officials. Provincial Health Minister Khawaja Salman Rafique commended the contributions of health economist Dr. Muhammad Adnan Khan and the cardiac advisory team, saying the programme represents a historic step in strengthening provincial health services under the chief minister’s leadership.
Officials also confirmed that an IT-based dashboard will be developed to track programme performance, patient outcomes and resource use. Authorities say the adult cardiac surgery programme aims to significantly shorten waiting lists, ensure timely surgeries for adults with heart disease and ultimately save thousands of lives across Punjab by making quality cardiac care more widely available.
