Children with heart conditions across Punjab will now receive free treatment and surgeries under the newly launched ‘Chief Minister Children Heart Surgery Programme.’ The initiative, aptly named ‘Maryam Ki Masihaai,’ aims to provide essential medical care to over 5,000 children annually, marking a significant step towards improving pediatric healthcare in the region.
Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz inaugurated the programme, distributing ‘Child Surgery Cards’ during the launch ceremony. These cards will ensure that if public hospitals are at capacity, children will receive treatment at selected private hospitals.
In the first phase, heart surgery services will be available at six public hospitals, including the Punjab Institute of Cardiology (PIC) and Children’s Hospital in Lahore, as well as hospitals in Multan, Faisalabad, and Rawalpindi. The programme will also collaborate with certain private hospitals to extend its reach. The second phase will see expansion into Wazirabad, Dera Ghazi Khan, Bahawalpur, and Sargodha. To ensure smooth execution and transparency, an online dashboard will be developed to monitor the Children’s Heart Surgery Programme.
Expressing her gratitude and emotional connection to the initiative, CM Maryam Nawaz said, “I feel like a mother today, rather than a chief minister.” She emphasized the profound grief mothers experience when they lose their children, and the initiative reflects a heartfelt effort to save lives, ease suffering, and “wipe away the tears of mothers.”
The programme will also accommodate children from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and other provinces, further extending its humanitarian reach. It was revealed during the briefing that previously, the lack of timely heart surgery facilities contributed to the tragic loss of approximately 5,000 children every year.
