‘Rs250m given for treatment of deserving patients’

LAHORE: Provincial Minister for Zakat and Ushr Malik Nadeem Kamran said the government was releasing more than 25 crore rupees per annum to the hospitals for the treatment of deserving patients. The Zakat and Ushr Department released one crore 80 lakh rupees in two six-monthly installments to the Punjab Institute of Cardiology and 1,126 heart patients got free treatment in the said hospital, he said this while visiting the Punjab Institute of Cardiology to review the arrangements being made by the Health Welfare Committee for the treatment of deserving patients.
While giving details, he said with the amount given to the Health Welfare Committee of PIC, 563 deserving patients were treated and open heart surgeries of 543 patients were arranged at a cost of Rs. one crore 59 lakh and 43 thousand. He said the pace makers were installed in 19 deserving patients at a cost of Rs. 20 lakh and 27 thousand whereas one epicordial lead was installed to a deserving patient at a cost of Rs. 30 thousand.
Malik Nadeem Kamran enquired after the deserving patients about the treatment facility being provided to them. Most of them belonged to very poor families and could not afford open heart surgeries.
The patients thanked the Punjab government and the provincial minister for the arrangements made for their treatment. The minister said the government was doing its level best for the treatment of the needy and was providing financial assistance in the shape of subsistence allowance, Eid grant, Ramazan grant and marriage grant but philanthropists should also come forward and play their role in this noble cause.