Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif expressed strong displeasure over the delay in the purchase of cardiology machinery during a high-level meeting and issued strict deadlines for making the specialized heart centers in Murree and Sargodha fully functional. The provincial administration emphasized that delays in the treatment of heart patients would not be tolerated, signaling an end to delays in the completion of projects in the health sector.
During the meeting held on Wednesday, which reviewed the progress of the cardiac centers in Murree, Sahiwal, and Sargodha, the Chief Minister ordered that the Nawaz Sharif Cardiology Center in Murree must be made fully functional by mid-February at all costs. A clear order was issued to complete its cardiac surgery theater and to provide all necessary machinery as soon as possible.
Directions were also given to complete the recruitment process for doctors and other necessary staff for the Murree facility at the earliest.
For Sargodha Division, the Chief Minister directed that the Nawaz Sharif Institute of Cardiology be made fully functional by April.
In a major policy shift, the provincial government has now made it mandatory that the complete installation of all machinery and equipment in the construction of any new hospital will be part of the initial plan, so that facilities are fully equipped upon completion.
The meeting also included a comprehensive briefing from the Secretary of Specialized Healthcare and Medical Education, who presented a performance report on 57 specialized hospitals across Punjab.
According to the report, 18.3 million patients benefited from these hospitals, while a total of 39.5 million patients were provided with medical services. This included 23.9 million patients in the outdoor patient departments (OPDs) and 15.6 million in emergency wards.
The briefing stated that free medicines worth Rs 1.92 billion were provided to patients at these specialized facilities.
It was further reported that more than 716,000 surgeries, 452,000 CT scans, and over 143,000 MRIs were performed. Additionally, health professionals conducted over 99,000 angiographies and more than 150,000 echocardiograms.
Specific data revealed that out of 13,380 registered cases of pediatric heart conditions, 8,462 surgeries were performed. Under the Chief Minister’s Special Initiative Transplant Program, 879 liver, kidney, and other transplants were completed out of 1,327 registered patients. The province also facilitated 1,015,000 dialysis sessions for 29,000 patients.
At the Nawaz Sharif Cardiology Center in Murree, 1,534 patients have already been treated in the OPD, while 48 angiographies and 374 echos have been performed. Similarly, at the Nawaz Sharif Institute of Cardiology in Sargodha, 2,027 patients were registered, over 10,000 OPD visits occurred, and 2.9 million medicines were provided.
Regarding the Sahiwal Institute of Cardiology, it was reported that an average of 180 patients, 59 angiographies, six angioplasties, and three bypass surgeries are performed daily. The Chief Minister directed to further improve the facilities at the Sahiwal institute.
The report also mentioned that since the conversion of Samli TB Hospital into a general hospital, the number of patients benefiting from its services has exceeded 118,000.