Punjab Health Minister Reviews Chief Minister’s Healthcare Initiatives

By Farzana Chaudhry
LAHORE, Pakistan: Punjab Health Minister Khawaja Salman Rafique chaired a review meeting on the provincial government’s healthcare initiatives, focusing on service delivery, monitoring mechanisms and patient facilitation, officials said on Wednesday.
The meeting was held at the Specialized Healthcare and Medical Education Department and was attended by Secretary Health Punjab Azmat Mahmood and other senior officials. Participants were briefed on the monitoring framework of ongoing projects, improvements in service delivery, and measures taken to enhance patient convenience. Public feedback on newly launched health programs was also reviewed.
Rafique emphasized the need to ensure transparency in flagship health programs, strengthen oversight mechanisms and improve the quality of services in public hospitals.
According to the minister, millions of patients have benefited from services at Punjab’s specialized hospitals, including surgical procedures and the distribution of free medicines worth billions of rupees. He said progress was under way on the Chief Minister’s Special Initiative for a Cancer Patient Card, as well as expanded programs for cancer and cardiac surgeries.
The minister added that thousands of doctors and nurses are being recruited through the Punjab Public Service Commission on merit, while additional doctors are being appointed on an ad hoc basis following cabinet approval. He said the outpatient department (OPD) block of the Nawaz Sharif Institute of Cancer Treatment and Research is expected to become operational soon, and the Jinnah Institute of Cardiology in Lahore will also be made functional in the near future.
Secretary Specialized Healthcare Azmat Mahmood said the performance of 57 specialized hospitals across Punjab was reviewed during the meeting. He added that the Nawaz Sharif Institute of Cardiology in Sargodha Division has been directed to become fully operational by April 2026, while work on the Nawaz Sharif Cardiology Center in Murree has been instructed to be completed on priority.
The meeting was attended by senior health officials, including the Vice Chancellor of the University of Child Health Sciences, Professor Masood Sadiq, and representatives from key health institutions across the province.