By Qasim Ali
LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif on Tuesday chaired a special meeting on specialized healthcare and medical education, directing authorities to introduce special cards for cardiac and cancer patients across the province.During the meeting, officials briefed the CM on the Cancer and Cardiac Surgery Special Card Project, highlighting that under the initiative, the Punjab government will cover the full treatment cost for patients suffering from cancer and heart diseases. Each patient will be able to avail treatment worth up to Rs 1 million, with 45,000 patients expected to benefit in the first phase.The CM also sought a comprehensive program for timely treatment of stroke patients. She directed that the OPD Block of Nawaz Sharif Institute of Cancer Treatment and Research be made functional by January 17, and set January 31 as the deadline for operationalization of Nawaz Sharif Institute of Cardiology, Sargodha.Officials said 219 vacant positions have been approved for recruitment at the Cancer Institute in the first phase. At the Sargodha Cardiology Institute, OPD, IPD, Emergency, Pathology, and Radiology departments will become fully functional by January 31, with 258 positions approved for initial recruitment. Jinnah Institute of Cardiology is expected to become operational on February 15, with 1,104 positions approved.Authorities further briefed that Punjab’s 57 major hospitals treated 25 million OPD patients and 6.2 million emergency patients over the past year, providing medicines worth Rs 19.9 billion. Under the Chief Minister Medicine Home Delivery Program, 537,511 patients received medicines worth Rs 480 million at their homes. Hospitals also conducted 744,430 surgeries, 475,040 CT scans, 150,925 MRI scans, 105,155 angiographies, 157,950 echocardiographies, over 1.2 million ultrasounds, and more than 1.8 million X-rays. Pathology diagnostic tests were provided to more than 15 million patients.
