'Pakistan’s first free heart transplant centre opens in Lahore'

LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has inaugurated Pakistan’s first heart transplant centre at the Jinnah Institute of Cardiology in Lahore.

Named the Maryam Nawaz Sharif Heart Transplant Centre, the facility is equipped with advanced medical technology and aims to provide heart transplant services free of cost to deserving patients.

In a statement on social media, Maryam Nawaz announced the opening of the “world-class” heart transplant centre, saying the government of Punjab would, Insha’Allah, bear the full cost of treatment for eligible patients.

“Heart transplant procedures at the Jinnah Institute of Cardiology will be done 100 per cent free of cost. We have established Pakistan’s first-of-its-kind heart transplant centre,” she said.

She noted that heart transplantation is an expensive procedure, with the government prepared to cover costs of up to $50,000 per transplant for deserving patients. However, she said that by using Chinese technology, the cost will be brought down to around $10,000 so more people can benefit from this facility.

During her visit to the facility, Maryam Nawaz inspected the heart transplant centre, angiography suite, diagnostic rooms, outpatient department and other sections.

She also reviewed the state-of-the-art heart-lung machine, high-end Tesla MRI and other advanced medical equipment installed in the modular operating theatre.

Meanwhile, Punjab Information Minister Azma Bukhari said the Jinnah Institute of Cardiology had started operations and would provide heart transplant treatment completely free of charge.

Bukhari said the new cardiac facility had been established in response to the growing population of Lahore and increasing pressure on the Punjab Institute of Cardiology (PIC).

She said the project had been completed in a short period under the direction of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz to meet the province’s growing healthcare needs.

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The information minister also said Maryam Nawaz would soon inaugurate the Nawaz Sharif Cancer Hospital, which will have a capacity of 1,000 beds.

She added that work on the Cardiology Hospital in Sargodha was also nearing completion, while government hospitals across Punjab continued to provide free treatment to patients from across the country.