LAHORE : Punjab Health Minister Khawaja Salman Rafique has announced that level three and level four cancer patients will receive free treatment at the 915-bed Nawaz Sharif Institute of Cancer Treatment and Research (NSICT&R) in Lahore, currently under construction at a cost of approximately Rs75 billion.
The minister made this announcement during a visit to the site on Friday, accompanied by Chairman Board and former Chief Secretary Punjab Captain (retd) Zahid Saeed and Secretary Health Azmat Mahmood.Officials briefed them on the master plan of the institute.
Khawaja Salman Rafique stated that the Punjab government is building the NSICT&R as the first fully government-run cancer hospital in Pakistan.He added that Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz is closely monitoring the project, with construction ongoing around the clock. ‘No patient will be denied treatment.
Insha Allah, even level three and level four cancer patients will receive treatment free-of-charge,’ the minister said. The institute will feature pediatric oncology, operation theatres, 10 radiation therapy bunkers, an ICU, a 30-bed emergency ward, a waiting hall with 24 beds, a bone marrow centre, cancer care clinic, doctors’ residences and a mosque in its first phase. The second phase will include a 300-bed building and a parking plaza.Facilities such as radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and endoscopy will be available from the start.
Patients from other provinces, including Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh, will also be treated free-of-cost.
The minister emphasised that the institute is a national project, not just for Punjab, ensuring access to cancer treatment for all socio-economic groups. Captain (retd) Zahid Saeed said efforts are being made to complete the first phase quickly.
Health Secy Azmat Mahmood added that IDAP has been instructed to make the NSICT&R fully functional within the stipulated timeframe.
