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LAHORE, Dec 31 (APP): Punjab Health Minister Khawaja Salman Rafique has stated that for the first time in the province’s history, the long-standing culture of delay in the health sector has been eliminated, resulting in improved service delivery and timely treatment for patients.
He was chairing a meeting at the Specialized Healthcare and Medical Education Department on Wednesday to review progress on Chief Minister Punjab’s health initiatives. The meeting was briefed on the monitoring framework of various health projects, service delivery mechanisms, and steps taken to enhance patient convenience. Public feedback on newly launched and innovative health projects was also reviewed.
Emphasizing transparency and accountability, the provincial health minister stressed the need to ensure high-quality services under flagship health programs and robust monitoring systems for the welfare of patients.
Khawaja Salman Rafique said that millions of patients have benefited from improved healthcare services in Punjab’s specialized hospitals, where numerous surgeries have been performed and free medicines worth billions of rupees have been distributed. He underscored that the Punjab government maintains a zero-tolerance policy toward delays in the treatment of cardiac patients, stating that even a moment’s delay is unacceptable.
The minister announced that the Punjab government has decided to introduce the Chief Minister’s Special Initiative for Cancer Patient Card, along with special cards for cancer and cardiac surgeries. He added that thousands of new doctors and nurses are being recruited purely on merit through the Punjab Public Service Commission (PPSC), while ad hoc appointments of doctors in various hospitals are also being made following cabinet approval to address immediate needs.
He further revealed that the OPD block of the Nawaz Sharif Institute of Cancer Treatment and Research will soon be made operational, fulfilling the government’s commitment to saving thousands of lives. The Jinnah Institute of Cardiology, Lahore, is also expected to become functional in the near future. “All available resources are being utilized to provide the best possible health facilities to the people of Punjab,” he added.
Secretary Specialized Healthcare and Medical Education Department Azmat Mahmood Khan informed the meeting that the performance of 57 specialized hospitals across Punjab was reviewed. For the convenience of cardiac patients in Sargodha Division, the Nawaz Sharif Institute of Cardiology has been directed to be fully functional by April 2026, while the Nawaz Sharif Cardiology Center Murree has been ordered to be completed at all costs.
The meeting was attended by Health Secretary Azmat Mahmood Khan, Special Secretary Operations Nabila Irfan, Special Secretary Development Benish Fatima Sahi, Additional Secretary Khadija-tul-Kubra, Additional Secretary Technical Dr. Muhammad Waseem, Additional Secretary Ashfaq-ur-Rehman, Additional Secretary Anwar Bariar, Director Monitoring Atiq-ur-Rehman, and other senior officers. Medical Superintendents of all teaching hospitals participated in the meeting via video link conference.