Health minister chairs meeting on cancer hospitals, Hub-and-Spoke Programme

LAHORE, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 30th Jun, 2026) An important meeting was held on Tuesday in the Specialized Healthcare and Medical

Education Department under the chairmanship of Provincial Health Minister Khawaja

Salman Rafique to review key healthcare projects aimed at strengthening medical

services in southern Punjab.

The meeting reviewed the Hub and Spoke Model Pilot Programme in Zahir Pir, Rahim

Yar Khan, the establishment of a cancer centre at Nishtar Hospital Multan, and progress

on the Kulsoom Nawaz Cancer Hospital in Dera Ghazi Khan.

Punjab Health Secretary Azmat Mahmood Khan attended the meeting along with Special

Secretary (Operations) Nabila Irfan, Special Secretary (Development) Ahmed Kamal Mann,

Additional Secretaries for Procurement, Establishment and Technical, and officials of

the Infrastructure Development Authority Punjab (IDAP).

Vice Chancellor of Nishtar Medical University Prof. Mehnaz Khakwani, Principal of Sheikh

Zayed Medical College Prof. Muhammad Saleem Leghari, Executive Director of the Institute

of Cardiology Dera Ghazi Khan, and the relevant Medical Superintendents participated via video link.

Officials briefed the meeting on the proposed Hub and Spoke Model, under which a central

hub in Zahir Pir would be linked with surrounding Basic Health Units (BHUs) to improve access

to quality healthcare in rural areas. The model is designed to ensure timely treatment, an

efficient referral mechanism and prompt transfer of patients requiring specialised care to

major healthcare centres.

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The meeting was also informed that the installation of a PET scan and cyclotron at Nishtar

Hospital Multan would enable advanced diagnostic services for cancer and other complex

diseases within southern Punjab, significantly reducing the need for patients to travel to

Lahore and other major cities.

Speaking on the occasion, Health Minister Khawaja Salman Rafique said the Punjab government

was modernising the healthcare system in southern Punjab and constructing a state-of-the-art

Kulsoom Nawaz Cancer Hospital in Dera Ghazi Khan.

He said the introduction of advanced medical equipment under the Hub and Spoke Model and

at Nishtar Hospital Multan would provide major relief to the people of the region. He directed

the relevant departments to ensure the swift and transparent execution of all three projects,

while emphasising the timely installation of modern equipment and prioritising the training of

medical staff.

The minister further said that, subject to the success of the pilot project in Zahir Pir, the Hub

and Spoke Model would be expanded to other districts of Punjab. He also directed officials

to submit progress reports on the projects within the stipulated timeframe.

Punjab Health Secretary Azmat Mahmood Khan said progress on all three projects was being

closely monitored and instructed the concerned departments to maintain close coordination

to ensure their timely completion.