A review meeting chaired by Provincial Health Minister Khawaja Salman Rafique at the Specialized Healthcare and Medical Education Department in Lahore examined progress on the Chief Minister’s adult cardiac surgery program.
Secretary Specialized Healthcare and Medical Education Azmat Mahmood attended the session in person, while Chairman of the Advisory Committee for Cardiology Dr Farqad Alamgir and CEO Punjab Health Initiative Management Company Dr Ali Razaq joined via video link. Special Secretary Development Ahmed Kamal and Additional Secretary Development Amira Bedar were also present.
Speaking at the meeting, Khawaja Salman Rafique said that historic reforms are being introduced in the health sector under the leadership of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif. He explained that under the initiative free treatment facilities worth more than Rs3 billion annually will be provided to patients suffering from heart disease.
All permanent residents of Punjab will be eligible for the program according to National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) records. The plan envisages upgrading government cardiac institutions and bringing selected private cardiac hospitals into the network to expand overall treatment capacity across the province.
The Cardiac Surgery program aims to significantly reduce the waiting list for adult heart procedures by covering all types of adult cardiac surgeries. Government cardiac institutions will serve as primary registration and treatment centres, with referrals to private hospitals permitted only through a multidisciplinary team to ensure appropriate use of resources.
Each patient will be eligible for annual treatment coverage up to Rs1 million, and a reserve fund will be established to meet costs for cases that exceed standard packages or involve complex procedures. Secretary Azmat Mahmood said an IT-based dashboard will be developed to ensure transparency and effective monitoring of the Cardiac Surgery program, noting that the initiative is expected to save thousands of lives and improve access to advanced cardiac care across Punjab.
