‘1,672 operated upon under children heart surgery programme’

LAHORE: Health Minister Khawaja Salman Rafique has said 1,672 children have undergone successful surgeries under Chief Minister's Children Heart Surgery Programme.

Speaking at a meeting, the minister said coordination of the relevant departments is being further improved to make the Chief Minister’s Children Heart Surgery Programme a success. Feedback has been taken from all the relevant government and private children's hospitals regarding this programme. No negligence is being tolerated in the programme. The processing process is also underway to empanel more hospitals for the improvement of this programme, the health minister said, adding there is a clear reduction in the waiting list for surgeries of innocent children under this programme.

‘Before this programme, parents of innocent children had to wait for months according to the waiting list for surgeries. The capacity of government children's hospitals in Punjab has also increased under this programme. The Punjab government is ensuring transparency of the entire system of the Children Heart Surgery Programme,’ the minister said.

The heads of private and government hospitals selected for the Chief Minister’s Children’s Heart Surgery Programme attended the meeting through video link. During the meeting, steps were also reviewed for the implementation of the Chief Minister’s Special Initiative for Transplant. The minister also reviewed the Chief Minister’s Children’s Heart Surgery Programme. The meeting was attended by Punjab Health Secretary Azmat Mehmud, Special Secretary Development Zeeshan Shabbir Rana, Additional Secretary Dr Waheed Asghar, CEO Punjab Health Enterprise Management Company Dr Ali Razaq, Pro Vice Chancellor University of Child Health Sciences Professor Junaid Rashid, Director PITB Nosheen Fayyaz and others.