Punjab Govt Ensures Effective Treatment for Stroke Patients Under CM’s Special Initiative

By Muhammad Shahzad
Lahore, Pakistan
The Punjab government has reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring timely and effective treatment for stroke patients across the province under the Chief Minister’s Special Initiative for Stroke Management, provincial Health Minister Khawaja Salman Rafique said on Monday.
An important review meeting was held at the Specialized Healthcare and Medical Education Department, chaired by the health minister, to assess progress on the initiative and finalise implementation plans. The meeting was attended by Secretary Health Punjab Azmat Mahmood Khan, Chairman of the Chief Minister’s Advisory Committee for Cardiology Dr Farqad Alamgir, and senior officials from relevant departments.
Participants included CEO Punjab Health Initiative Management Company Dr Ali Razaq, Special Secretary Development Benish Fatima Sahi, Additional Secretary Technical Dr Muhammad Waseem, Additional Secretary Procurement Amira Babar, Fatima Noreen, and senior medical professionals from leading healthcare institutions. Executive Director Punjab Institute of Neurosciences Professor Asif Bashir, Professor Qasim Bashir, Professor Athar Javed, and other experts attended in person, while neuro specialists from Rawalpindi Institute of Cardiology and other teaching hospitals joined via video link.
During the meeting, a detailed briefing was given on ensuring timely and quality medical care for stroke patients, including referral mechanisms, emergency response protocols and the use of modern treatment methods.
Addressing the meeting, Health Minister Khawaja Salman Rafique said that, on the instructions of Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, a comprehensive and effective system for stroke treatment was being put in place across the province. He said the plan for the Chief Minister’s Special Initiative for Stroke Management had been finalised and that existing neuro facilities at teaching hospitals would be further upgraded to improve patient care.
He stressed that public awareness about stroke symptoms and the need for immediate medical attention was critical to the success of the programme. “This initiative is a major step towards providing quality treatment facilities at people’s doorsteps and will help save thousands of lives,” he said.
The minister said that 14 primary stroke centres were currently operational across Punjab, adding that the programme’s scope would be expanded to district and tehsil levels. He said the core objective of the initiative was to significantly enhance stroke treatment facilities throughout the province.
Secretary Specialized Healthcare and Medical Education Azmat Mahmood Khan said the initiative would help reduce the patient burden on the Punjab Institute of Neurosciences. He added that existing human resources would be trained under the programme to ensure effective service delivery.
“We are striving to provide the best possible healthcare facilities at the doorstep of the people,” he said, noting that valuable suggestions from medical experts had been incorporated to ensure the success of the initiative.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr Adnan Khan said Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif was keen to launch a unique and province-wide stroke management programme. He said services of leading medical experts would be utilised, with the primary aim of maximising treatment facilities for patients presenting with stroke-related complaints.