Federal minister visits Mayo Hospital, vows enhanced support for patients

LAHORE, Apr 01 (APP):Federal Minister for Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Syed Imran Ahmad Shah on Wednesday visited Mayo Hospital, Lahore and reviewed available medical facilities and services.
Talking to the media, the minister said the visit was part of a broader initiative under the vision and directives of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to improve healthcare access and ensure maximum facilitation for underprivileged segments of society.
He said the government was fully committed to ensuring that no deserving patient faced delay or difficulty in receiving timely and quality treatment.
He said similar visits had been undertaken to major hospitals across the country, including Allied Hospital Faisalabad, Nishtar Hospital Multan, Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), and other healthcare facilities to review patient services and strengthen institutional coordination.
The minister said these visits were aimed at improving coordination between hospital administrations, social welfare departments, and Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal in order to eliminate communication gaps that could affect patient care.
He emphasized that enhanced linkage among stakeholders would ensure uninterrupted support to patients.
He appreciated the hospital administration for providing a comprehensive briefing and said that issues identified during the visit would be addressed on a priority basis. “Mayo Hospital is among the largest and most important healthcare facilities in Pakistan, and we are committed to resolving its challenges effectively,” he added.
Imran Shah clarified that assistance provided by Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal, including medical aid and educational scholarships, was not derived from Zakat funds but from endowment resources. He said Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal, working under the Ministry of Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety, was striving to extend maximum relief to deserving citizens.
He further said that the annual budget of Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal had been increased from Rs10 billion to Rs14 billion, with efforts underway to further enhance it in the upcoming budget. The allocation for medical assistance had also been raised from Rs2.25 billion to Rs3 billion for the current fiscal year, with plans for additional increase in the next financial year.
The minister added that the financial assistance limit for individual patients had been increased from Rs1 million to Rs1.5 million after approval by the board, enabling support for costly treatments such as transplants and cardiac surgeries. Similarly, educational scholarships had been enhanced from Rs100,000 to Rs150,000 per student annually.
He said the government was determined to expand welfare initiatives and utilize available resources for public service and uplift of underprivileged segments of society, adding that further improvements in healthcare and social protection sectors would continue in line with government priorities.
Earlier, the minister was given a detailed briefing by Mayo Hospital Chief Operating Officer Dr Abdul Mudabir and Chief Executive Officer Dr Shoaib Nabi, who apprised him of the hospital’s major achievements and ongoing developments.
Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal Punjab Director Muhammad Zaheer, along with other senior officials, was also present.