Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has opened Pakistan’s first heart transplant centre at the Jinnah Institute of Cardiology in Lahore.
The Maryam Nawaz Sharif Heart Transplant Centre will offer heart transplant services free of charge to eligible patients.
The new centre features advanced medical equipment. It aims to help patients who cannot afford expensive heart transplant procedures.
Maryam Nawaz announced the centre’s opening on social media. She called it a “world-class” facility.
She also said the Punjab government would cover the full cost of treatment for deserving patients.
“Heart transplant procedures at the Jinnah Institute of Cardiology will be done 100 per cent free of cost,” she said.
Government to Fund Heart Transplants
Maryam Nawaz highlighted the high cost of heart transplant surgery.
She said the government could spend up to $50,000 on each transplant for deserving patients.
However, Chinese technology could reduce the cost significantly. According to Maryam Nawaz, the procedure could cost around $10,000 with the new technology.
The lower cost could help the government treat more patients.
During her visit, Maryam Nawaz inspected several sections of the facility.
She visited the heart transplant centre and angiography suite. She also inspected diagnostic rooms and the outpatient department.
The chief minister reviewed the centre’s advanced medical equipment. This included a modern heart-lung machine and a high-end Tesla MRI.
She also examined the modular operating theatre and its medical technology.
New Centre to Ease Pressure on Lahore Hospitals
Punjab Information Minister Azma Bukhari said the Jinnah Institute of Cardiology has started operations.
She said the centre would provide heart transplant treatment completely free of charge to eligible patients.
Bukhari explained why the government developed the new facility.
Lahore’s population continues to grow. The city also faces increasing demand for specialised cardiac treatment.
The new centre will help meet that growing demand. It will also reduce pressure on the Punjab Institute of Cardiology.
Bukhari said the government completed the project in a short period. She credited Maryam Nawaz with directing the initiative.
The centre could give more patients access to life-saving cardiac treatment. It could also reduce the financial burden on families facing serious heart conditions.
Punjab Plans More Healthcare Projects
The Punjab government has several other major healthcare projects in progress.
Azma Bukhari said Maryam Nawaz would soon inaugurate the Nawaz Sharif Cancer Hospital.
The hospital will have a capacity of 1,000 beds.
Work on the Cardiology Hospital in Sargodha is also nearing completion, Bukhari said.
Government hospitals across Punjab also continue to provide free treatment to patients from different parts of Pakistan.
The new heart transplant centre represents a major expansion of specialised cardiac care in the province.
By offering transplant procedures at no cost to eligible patients, the facility could make advanced heart treatment accessible to people who previously could not afford it.
