CM hikes stroke care funding in Punjab

Promises cancer treatment facilities in every division

LAHORE:

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif on Thursday announced an additional allocation of Rs5 billion for stroke treatment.

Speaking at an event at the Punjab Institute of Neurosciences (PINS), the chief minister promised to establish stroke, cardiac, paediatric and cancer treatment facilities at every divisional headquarters across the province.

She also announced that heart transplant surgeries would begin soon at the Jinnah Institute of Cardiology. The chief minister said no stroke patient would be denied treatment due to shortage of funds, directing officials to inform her directly about any financial requirements.

She visited the institute's intensive care unit and control room, observed neurosurgical procedures from the operating theatre gallery and interacted with patients.

She also witnessed the rehabilitation of stroke patients through robotic physiotherapy.

The Punjab said timely treatment was critical in stroke cases, as patients had a window of up to five hours during which medical intervention could significantly improve their chances of recovery. She urged people to seek immediate medical assistance if they experienced symptoms such as arm weakness or difficulty speaking by calling Rescue 1122 without delay.

High blood pressure, diabetes, heart diseases and high cholesterol could increase the risk of stroke, she said, stressing that its symptoms should never be ignored.

The chief minister said Rescue 1122 had helped save the lives of stroke patients by transporting them to stroke centres in time. She commended the rescue service and the medical teams for their efforts.

She pointed out that the cost of an injection used in stroke treatment was beyond the reach of many people, while travelling from distant districts such as Rahim Yar Khan to Lahore posed additional difficulties.

The establishment of local stroke facilities would help the patients access timely care closer to home, she added. Provincial Health Minister Salman Rafique said the Punjab government had established 38 primary and two comprehensive stroke centres.

The chief minister said 15 additional stroke centres would be established, adding that PINS Executive Director Dr Asif Bashir and Head of Neurology Dr Qasim Bashir were training doctors and nurses to strengthen specialised care.

She said the provincial government was also expanding cardiac services, with state-of-the-art catheterisation laboratories planned in 20 districts. The facilities had already been established in at least eight districts, she added.

Stroke treatment is also available at PINS General Hospital, Rawalpindi Institute of Cardiology and Sheikh Zayed Hospital. The services are being extended to the Holy Family Hospital in Rawalpindi and other hospitals in Multan and Faisalabad.

The chief minister said a paediatric centre would be established in every division.

She also said a cancer hospital was being built in Lahore to provide free treatment to underprivileged patients. A pain management centre would be established there to alleviate the suffering of patients with advanced-stage cancer, she added.