Overview
- Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz announced a benefit card that covers full treatment costs for cancer and heart-disease patients up to Rs1 million.
- The initial rollout will issue 45,000 cards to enable access to costly and complex procedures without out-of-pocket payments.
- Cardholders will receive free cardiac surgeries under the Chief Minister’s Cardiac Surgery Program, and a plan for timely stroke care has been requested.
- Operational milestones include the Lahore cancer institute OPD by January 17, the Sargodha cardiology institute’s IPD, emergency, pathology and radiology by January 31, and Lahore’s Jinnah Institute of Cardiology by February 15.
- Approved hiring covers 219 posts at the cancer institute, 258 at the Sargodha cardiology institute and 1,104 at the Jinnah institute, with officials citing heavy recent hospital caseloads and medicine distribution.