LAHORE : Cancer treatment has been provided to more than 65,183 patients completely free of cost under the CM’s Special Initiative for Cancer Patients and more than 30,462 cancer patients have been registered in PAEC and other panel hospitals so far.
Provincial Health Minister Khawaja Salman Rafique shared this information while addressing the 115th meeting of the Board of Directors of the Punjab Health Initiative Management Company (PHIMC) on Saturday.
He said important steps are underway to implement revolutionary initiatives in the health sector of the Punjab government. So far, free treatment worth more than Rs18 billion has been provided to patients under all special health programmes from the designated hospitals.
In the meeting, a detailed briefing was given regarding the various and unique projects of the CM Punjab in the health sector. Secretary Specialized Healthcare and Medical Education Department Azmat Mahmood, Health Economist Dr M Adnan Khan, Board Member Dr Shujaat Ali, Board Member Parveen Agha, former DG Health Punjab and Board Member Dr Zahid Pervez, CEO Punjab Health Initiative Management Company Dr Ali Razaq, CEO Punjab Healthcare Commission Dr Saqib Aziz and Director PITB Nosheen Fayyaz attended the meeting in person while Additional Secretary Finance Khurram Aziz and Member Health P&D Shafaat Ali participated through video link.
The board discussed in detail the signing of an agreement with Punjab Life Insurance Company regarding all health programmes. The CEO, COO and other officers of Punjab Life Insurance Company informed about the details in this regard. All the board members gave their valuable opinions and suggestions in this regard. The board approved hiring a third-party validation firm to verify the distribution, use and receipt of thrombolytic injections under the Primary Stroke Centre Programme. The board also directed a third-party audit to maintain the transparency of the CM’s health initiatives.
Addressing the meeting, Provincial Health Minister Khawaja Salman Rafique said that historic and fundamental steps are being taken in the health sector. Under the CM’s Adult Cardiac Surgery Programme, free treatment facilities worth more than Rs3 billion are being provided to heart disease patients annually. Under the CM’s Special Initiative for Cancer Patients, free diagnosis, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, surgical and medical therapy facilities are being provided to cancer patients annually at a cost of Rs13 billion.
He said under the CM’s Special Initiative for Stroke Management, free treatment facilities worth more than Rs3 billion will be provided to stroke patients annually. Under the CM’s Children’s Heart Surgery Programme, so far, more than 13,425 innocent children have undergone heart surgeries across the province at a cost of billions of rupees. Under the CM’s Children’s Heart Surgery Programme, 559 children from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 339 from Azad Kashmir, 133 from Islamabad, 42 from Balochistan, 51 from Gilgit-Baltistan and 35 from Sindh have undergone free cardiac surgeries.
The provincial minister informed that under the CM’s Special Initiative for Transplant Programme, 2,076 transplants have been performed so far, including 1,021 renal transplants, 639 cochlear, 332 liver, 43 bone marrow and 41 corneal transplants. Under the CM’s Dialysis Programme, more than 1.915 million patients have been treated for free dialysis. All resources are being utilised to provide best health facilities to the people of Punjab.
