LAHORE: Health Minister Khawaja Salman Rafique has said Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has launched a free cancer treatment programme with a budget of Rs13 billion.
Speaking at Ameer-Ud-Din Medical College (PGMI/AMC) gynaecology conference here on Thursday, the minister said, ‘Gynaecological cancer is a serious health problem in Pakistan. Every year many women lose their lives, the main reason for which is not timely diagnosis of the disease.
‘Under this initiative, the Punjab government is bearing the cost of free treatment of cancer patients in selected private cancer hospitals and hospitals affiliated to the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission. The ‘Punjab CML Project’ has also been launched. Which provides free treatment to cancer patients through designated divisional headquarters hospitals.
‘The supply of cancer medicines has been increased as per the budget allocated in this financial year. The cost of which is Rs 3 billion.’ The health minister said Nawaz Sharif Institute of Cancer Treatment and Research in Lahore is a major project for the healthcare of cancer patients with a proposed capacity of 915 beds and its approved cost is about Rs74billion.
The institution will be developed in line with international best practices and will be supported by leading national and international consultants. To further strengthen the oncology infrastructure, a 100-bed cancer centre is being set up at Nishtar Hospital Multan at a cost of around Rs4 billion. The institution will also have a PET scan and cyclotron centre. A linear accelerator worth Rs1 billion is being installed at Allied Hospital, Faisalabad. In addition, a cancer hospital is planned at DG Khan at an estimated cost of Rs15 billion, which will further improve access to advanced cancer treatment services, the minister said, adding the Punjab government is providing monthly stipends to Level 3 and Level 4 postgraduate trainees to strengthen cancer-specific training and improve health services.
