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LAHORE, Dec 18 (APP): Punjab Health Minister Khawaja Salman Rafique has said that modern reforms are being introduced to improve the health sector under the leadership of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif.
He was chairing a meeting on Thursday at the Specialized Healthcare and Medical Education Department to review the Chief Minister’s Children’s Heart Surgery Program, Chief Minister’s Dialysis Program and the Chief Minister’s Special Initiative for Transplant Program. During the meeting, the minister was briefed on the monitoring framework, service delivery mechanisms and measures taken to ensure patient convenience.
The Health Minister emphasized the need for transparency in the implementation of new and unique health projects, improvement in service quality and facilitation for patients. He said the Punjab government is committed to providing the best quality and free healthcare to the people. He added that landmark initiatives are being launched for cancer treatment, stroke management and adult cardiac surgery. Sharing progress details, Khawaja Salman Rafique said that under the Chief Minister’s Children’s Heart Surgery Program, more than 9,023 children have received free heart surgeries across Punjab at a cost of billions of rupees. He said the program has also benefited children from other provinces and regions, including Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Azad Kashmir, Islamabad, Balochistan, Gilgit-Baltistan and Sindh.
Highlighting other initiatives, the Minister said that under the Chief Minister’s Special Initiative for Transplant Program, a total of 998 transplants have been performed so far, including renal, cochlear, liver, bone marrow and corneal transplants. He further stated that more than 1.11 million patients have received free dialysis under the Chief Minister’s Dialysis Program, with over 31,260 patients registered in hospitals for dialysis services. Secretary Specialized Healthcare and Medical Education Department Azmat Mahmood Khan said that all possible steps would be taken to further improve the health sector and ensure maximum facilities in empaneled hospitals.
The meeting was also attended by Chairman Punjab Chief Minister Advisory Committee on Cardiology Dr. Farqad Alamgir, Vice Chancellor University of Child Health Sciences Prof. Masood Sadiq, Special Secretary Development Benish Fatima Sahi, CEO Punjab Health Initiative Management Company Dr. Ali Razaq, Additional Secretary Procurement Fatima Noreen and other officers.