LAHORE: Punjab Health Minister Khawaja Salman Rafique has stressed the need for transparency in new and innovative cardiac projects, improvement in service quality, and effective monitoring systems to ensure maximum convenience for patients.
The minister expressed these views while chairing a meeting focused on enhancing cardiac facilities across Punjab. He stated that modern reforms are being introduced in the health sector under the leadership of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz to ensure better healthcare services for the public.
Highlighting the government’s commitment, Khawaja Salman Rafique said the Punjab government is providing quality and free medical treatment to patients. Under the Chief Minister’s Children’s Heart Surgery Programme, more than 9,269 children across the province have received free heart surgeries, costing the government billions of rupees.
He further shared that children from other regions have also benefited from the programme, including 378 from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 225 from Azad Kashmir, 99 from Islamabad, 28 from Balochistan, 27 from Gilgit-Baltistan, and 25 from Sindh. The capacity of cardiac institutes in Punjab is also being enhanced to meet growing needs.
“We want these new cardiac programmes to benefit heart patients to the maximum extent. The government will continue to take all possible steps to further improve the health sector,” the minister added.
The meeting was attended via video link by members of the Chief Minister’s Advisory Committee on Cardiology, including Dr Farqad Alamgir, Executive Director Punjab Institute of Cardiology Prof Bilal Mohiuddin, MSPIC Dr Aamir Rafique Butt, and other senior officials.