Punjab has spent more than Rs36.5 billion on free treatment programmes. The figure is roughly double the Rs18 billion reported in June. The numbers were shared at a board meeting of the Punjab Health Initiative Management Company this week.
The rise comes as transplants, child heart surgeries and dialysis sessions keep growing. Health Minister Khawaja Salman Rafique chaired the meeting. He said waiting lists for heart surgery, cancer care and dialysis had fallen, and told hospitals to cut them further.
Thousands of transplants done
The transplant programme has completed 2,912 procedures. These include 1,345 kidney transplants, 1,000 cochlear implants, 429 liver transplants, 70 bone marrow transplants and 68 corneal transplants. Nearly 1,000 of these were added in just four months.
Under the children’s heart surgery programme, more than 16,391 children have been treated free of charge. About 1,400 of them came from outside Punjab, including KP, Azad Kashmir and Islamabad.
Dialysis demand grows
Officials say the programmes focus on people who cannot pay for private care. A family earning a daily wage cannot afford a transplant that costs lakhs of rupees. The state now bears that cost for eligible patients.
Hospitals must meet quality standards to stay empanelled. Regular audits check patient outcomes and billing. Authorities say this keeps the system honest and fair.
The minister said no deserving patient would be turned away. Hospitals have been told to treat first and complete paperwork later. Emergency cases get priority under the rules.
More than 50,753 patients are now registered for free dialysis, up from about 42,000 in June. Officials say the schemes are reaching poor families who could never afford such care on their own.
Comments (0)
Be respectful — comments are moderated.