Nawaz Institute of Cancer Treatment, Research to be functional by next month

LAHORE: Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz Sharif has directed the authorities concerned that OPD Block of Nawaz Sharif Institute of Cancer Treatment and Research be made functional by January 17, and also set a deadline for getting operational Nawaz Sharif Institute of Cardiology Sargodha by January 31.

The CM chaired a special meeting on Specialized Healthcare and Medical Education, and directed the authorities concerned to introduce special cards for the treatment of cardiac and cancer patients in the province.

The authorities concerned gave her a detailed briefing on Cancer and Cardiac Surgery Special Card Project, besides an update on Chief Minister’s Special Initiative for Cancer Patients Card in Punjab. They apprised the CM that under this initiative, Punjab government will bear complete treatment cost of patients suffering from cancer and heart diseases. They also apprised her that every patient will be able to avail treatment facilities worth up to Rs 1 million through this Card, and added that in the first phase, 45,000 patients across Punjab will benefit from this initiative. They highlighted that under Chief Minister Cardiac Surgery Program, heart surgeries will also be provided free of cost. She sought a comprehensive program regarding timely treatment of stroke patients.

The authorities concerned briefed her that Board of Governors of the Institute of Cancer Treatment and Research approved recruitment against 219 vacant positions in the first phase. They said that OPD, IPD, Emergency, Pathology and Radiology departments of the Institute of Cardiology Sargodha will become fully functional by January 31, and 258 positions have been approved for recruitment in the first phase. They added that Jinnah Institute of Cardiology will become functional on February 15, adding that its Board of Governors has approved 1104 positions for recruitment. They further apprised her that Punjab’s 57 major hospitals treated 2.5 crore OPD patients and 62 lakh emergency patients, adding that medicines worth Rs 19.9 billion were provided to major hospitals.

They briefed her that under Chief Minister Medicine Home Delivery Program, 537,511 patients received medicines worth Rs 480 million delivered to their homes.

They added that during past 11 months, government hospitals conducted 744,430 surgeries, 475,040 CT scans and 150,925 MRI scans. They underscored that in order to diagnose cardiac diseases; 105,155 angiographies and 157,950 echocardiography’s were performed. Additionally, over 1.2 million ultrasounds and more than 1.8 million X-rays were carried out. They flagged that pathology diagnostic tests facility was provided to more than 1.5 crore patients.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2025