Lahore:Punjab Minister for Specialized Healthcare and Medical Education Khawaja Salman Rafique said on Thursday that a significant reduction in waiting times had been witnessed for pediatric heart surgeries under the Chief Minister’s Children’s Heart Surgery Program. The milestone, achieved through the programme, was discussed during a meeting chaired by the minister on Thursday.
The Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB) presented an overview of the programme’s progress, noting the successful surgeries of over 530 children since the program’s inception. The minister expressed gratitude, saying, “Alhamdulillah, we have been able to help over 530 innocent children through this initiative.”
He added that the program’s scope is being extended to increase capacity in children’s hospitals across Punjab, further alleviating waiting times for surgeries. The program is continuously monitored through a digital dashboard, ensuring transparency and efficiency in operations.
During the meeting, approval was grante
d for new medical equipment for six government children’s hospitals to support the Chief Minister’s Children’s Heart Surgery Program.
Parliamentary Secretary Rushda Lodhi, Punjab Health Secretary Azmat Mehmood Khan, and other senior officials participated in the meeting. Vice Chancellor of the University of Child Health Sciences, Prof. Masood Sadiq, CEO of the Punjab Health Initiative Management Company, Dr. Ali Razaq, and additional representatives from PITB joined the discussion, with several participants, including Major General (Retired) Dr. Azhar Mehmood Kayani and Professor Farqad Alamgir, joining via video link.