Punjab sets up 40 stroke centres, offers free injections to patients: Maryam Nawaz

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has said that people come to Punjab in search of a better life and improved employment opportunities.

Addressing a stroke card distribution ceremony in Lahore, Maryam Nawaz said timely treatment was crucial for patients suffering from strokes, adding that no patient should be denied medical care due to a shortage of funds.

The chief minister said the injection required for stroke treatment costs Rs300,000, making it unaffordable for many low-income patients. She added that the Punjab government had established 40 stroke centres within a few months, where patients could receive the injection free of charge.

Maryam Nawaz said the government had established the Jinnah Institute of Cardiology in Lahore and a state-of-the-art hospital in Sargodha.

She added that a cancer hospital in Lahore would become operational soon, while cancer centres were being established in every division. Health laboratories were also being set up in 20 districts.

She said the level of work currently being carried out in the healthcare sector had not been witnessed before, highlighting the government's efforts to expand access to medical facilities across the province.

The chief minister further claimed that 100 million people had received treatment at government hospitals over the past year, while free medicines had also been provided to 100 million people. She added that 16,000 children had undergone heart surgeries in Punjab.