On the directions of the Chief Minister Punjab Shahbaz Sharif, free treatment facilities are being provided to the patients here at the Punjab Institute of Cardiology (PIC).
All cardiac medicines for one month are being provided free of cost in out-patient department to around 2000 patients daily. Chief Minister had already provided a grant of Rs 500 million for indoor and Rs 100 million for entitled patients.
It was disclosed by the Medical Superintendent of Punjab Institute of Cardiology, Dr Jaffar Salim, here on Friday. Salim stated that free treatment is being provided to all indoor and emergency patients including expensive approved stunts and expensive cardiac surgery disposables. During the last six months, 101,290 patients had been provided free medical facilities in OPD, whereas 48,240 patients were treated in emergency department, he said.
He added that 10,781 patients got free treatment in indoor, while 1089 cardiac surgery procedures were conducted. He said that 1325687 Pathology lab tests, 13164 Echocardiography, 2948 Exercise Tolerance Tests, 1025 CT Angio and 8431 Angiography tests were performed.
Dr Jaffar Salim further said that PIC is the only institution where consultants are practising in accordance with the Punjab Medical and Health Institutions Act. The institution earned 45 percent share from the fee collected by the consultants and in 2010, PIC earned Rs 112 million. This amount was spent on the treatment of deserving patients.
He further said that several development projects have been completed in PIC with the financial assistance of philanthropists. He added that free food is being provided to all indoor patients with the help of a private company and a philanthropist and an amount of Rs 5 million is being spent on it per annum. He said that different private firms and philanthropists also providing financial assistance for the bypass surgery and medical treatment of poor and deserving patients.