Punjab spends over Rs18 bln on free treatment under special health programmes

LAHORE, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 12th Jun, 2026) The Punjab government is moving forward with revolutionary and historic initiatives in the health sector, with more than Rs18 billion already spent on providing free treatment to patients through empaneled hospitals under various special health programmes.

The progress was highlighted during the 114th meeting of the Board of Directors of the Punjab Health Initiative Management Company (PHIMC), held on Friday under the chairmanship of Provincial Health Minister Khawaja Salman Rafique.

During the meeting, board members were given a detailed briefing on various flagship health projects launched under the directives of Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif. The board approved the minutes of its 113th meeting and discussed in detail a proposed agreement with Punjab Life Insurance Company regarding different health programmes.

Officials of Punjab Life Insurance Company, including the CEO and COO, briefed the board on the proposed arrangements. Board members offered suggestions and recommendations, while the board also ordered an audit to ensure transparency in the implementation of the chief minister’s health initiatives.

Speaking on the occasion, Khawaja Salman Rafique said that historic and fundamental reforms were being introduced in the health sector to improve access to quality healthcare for the public.

He said that under the Chief Minister’s Adult Cardiac Surgery Programme, free treatment worth more than Rs 3 billion is being provided annually to heart patients. Similarly, under the Chief Minister’s Special Initiative for Cancer Patients, free diagnostic, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, surgical and medical treatment facilities worth Rs13 billion are being provided every year.

The minister said that under the Chief Minister’s Special Initiative for Stroke Management, patients suffering from stroke would receive free treatment worth more than Rs3 billion annually.

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Highlighting achievements under the Chief Minister’s Children’s Heart Surgery Programme, he said that more than 13,223 children had undergone free heart surgeries across Punjab at a cost of billions of rupees. Beneficiaries also included 552 children from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 335 from Azad Kashmir, 131 from Islamabad, 42 from Balochistan, 51 from Gilgit-Baltistan and 35 from Sindh.

Khawaja Salman Rafique further stated that under the Chief Minister’s Special Initiative for Transplant Programme, a total of 2,018 transplants had been performed so far, including 997 kidney transplants, 616 cochlear implants, 322 liver transplants, 42 bone marrow transplants and 41 corneal transplants.

He added that more than 1.877 million dialysis procedures had been provided free of cost under the Chief Minister’s Dialysis Programme, while over 42,674 patients had been registered for dialysis treatment under the initiative.

The health minister reiterated the government's commitment to providing the best healthcare facilities to the people of Punjab, saying that all available resources were being utilised to improve medical services across the province.

Provincial Secretary Specialized Healthcare and Medical education Azmat Mahmood directed that maximum facilities be provided to patients in empaneled hospitals and said that issues faced by patients should be resolved on a priority basis.

The meeting was attended physically and through video link by senior officials and board members, including Health Economist Dr. Muhammad Adnan Khan, Additional Secretary Finance Khurram Aziz, Member Health P&D Shafaat Ali, Director PITB Nosheen Fayyaz, Board Member Dr. Shujaat Ali, Board Member Parveen Agha, former DG Health Punjab Dr. Zahid Pervez, CEO PHIMC Dr. Ali Razaq, CEO Punjab Healthcare Commission Dr. Saqib Aziz and other participants.