The Punjab Health Initiative Management Company (PHIMC) board has approved the chief minister’s special healthcare programs for cancer, stroke, and heart patients. The decision was made during a board meeting chaired by Punjab Minister Khawaja Salman Rafique.
Under the programs, the Punjab government will provide free diagnosis, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and surgical and medical treatment to cancer patients. The annual cost of the initiative is estimated at Rs. 13 billion. Stroke patients will receive free treatment worth over Rs. 1.2 billion every year.
The Chief Minister’s Adult Cardiac Surgery Programme will provide free heart treatment to patients at a cost of Rs. 3 billion annually. Meanwhile, the Chief Minister’s Children’s Heart Surgery Programme has already assisted at least 9,648 children across Punjab with free heart surgeries. These surgeries have also benefited children from other regions, including Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Azad Kashmir, Islamabad, Balochistan, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Sindh.
Another government initiative has facilitated 1,151 free organ transplants, including 613 kidney transplants, 315 cochlear implants, 185 liver transplants, 16 bone marrow transplants, and 22 corneal transplants. Authorities have directed hospitals to address any challenges faced by patients at empanelled facilities.
The stroke management program has helped more than 700 patients recover over the past year. It ensures the free provision of life-saving TNK injections, which cost around Rs. 300,000 per dose. These injections are being administered at 14 stroke management centres in Punjab, including Lahore, Multan, Rahim Yar Khan, Rawalpindi, Sialkot, Gujranwala, Narowal, Dera Ghazi Khan, and Layyah.
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Officials said the government is expanding the program to additional districts to reach more patients. The comprehensive initiatives aim to provide accessible, high-quality healthcare for serious conditions and improve the overall health standards in Punjab.
