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LAHORE, Mar 07 (APP):Punjab Health Minister Khawaja Salman Rafique has said that Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif is focusing all her attention on improving the health sector, and cooperation with Iran will further strengthen bilateral relations.
He expressed these views during his visit to the Iranian Consulate on Friday, where he was welcomed by Iranian Consul General Mehran Mowahid. The minister presented a bouquet and sweets to the Consul General as a gesture of goodwill.
The meeting focused on enhancing collaboration in pediatric heart surgery, facilities for Iranian students in Pakistan, and other matters of mutual interest. The Health Minister highlighted Punjab’s priorities in the health sector on behalf of the Chief Minister.
“Pakistan shares deep neighborly, educational, and spiritual ties with Iran. We admire Iran’s excellent healthcare system and welcome their cooperation in pediatric heart surgeries in Punjab,” said Khawaja Salman Rafique. He added that under Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s leadership, Pakistan is planning land and sea routes for enhanced connectivity with Iran.
The minister welcomed Iran’s proposal for collaboration in pediatric heart surgeries, stating that Iranian surgeons will operate on children in Punjab suffering from congenital heart defects. He noted that Pakistan had recently hosted UK-based cardiac surgeons who successfully operated on nine children in Faisalabad. Dr. Ali Razaq has been designated as the focal person for this initiative.
Speaking on the occasion, Iranian Consul General Mehran Mowahid Far praised the Punjab government’s efforts for public welfare and acknowledged Punjab’s development under CM Maryam Nawaz Sharif’s leadership. He expressed gratitude to the Punjab government for training individuals traveling to Iran for religious pilgrimages.
He further stated that Iran has prepared an advanced cardiac surgery package for Punjab, expressing confidence that under PM Shehbaz Sharif and CM Maryam Nawaz Sharif, polio eradication efforts in Pakistan will gain momentum. He also announced plans to hold medical training seminars in Mashhad and Qom and assured continued support for Iranian students studying in Pakistan.
Chairman of the Chief Minister’s Task Force, Dr. Farqad Alamgir, stressed that instead of sending every child to Iran for surgery, Iranian pediatric heart surgeons should perform procedures in Pakistan.
CEO of Punjab Health Initiative Management Company, Dr. Ali Razaq, stated that his organization is the executing agency for the Chief Minister’s Children’s Heart Surgery Program.
The meeting was attended by Special Secretary Development Zeeshan Shabir Rana, Chairman Chief Minister’s Task Force Dr. Farqad Alamgir, CEO Punjab Health Initiative Management Company Dr. Ali Razaq, and other senior officials.