LAHORE: Over 530 innocent children have been successfully operated under the Chief Minister's Children's Heart Surgery Program, since its launch.

“The scope of this program is being expanded. Under this program, there has been a clear reduction in the waiting list for surgeries of innocent children,” Provincial Health Minister Khawaja Salman Rafique said while reviewing the ‘Chief Minister's Children's Heart Surgery Program’ held in the Department of Specialized Healthcare and Medical Education. Parliamentary Secretary Rushda Lodhi participated in the meeting.

Punjab Health Secretary Azmat Mehmood Khan, Special Secretary Development Syed Wajid Ali Shah, Special Secretary Operations Tariq Mehmood, Additional Secretary Dr. Waheed, Vice Chancellor University of Child Health Sciences Professor Masood Sadiq, CEO Punjab Health Initiative Management Company Dr. Ali Razaq and representatives of Punjab Information Technology Board participated in the meeting. Major General Retired Dr. Azhar Mehmood Kayani, Professor Farqad Alamgir and others participated in the meeting through video link.

The minister health had a detailed review of the program. PITB gave a briefing in this regard. Salman Rafique said that before this program, parents of innocent children had to wait for months according to the waiting list for surgeries.

Under this program, the capacity of Punjab's Children's Hospitals is also being increased. He said that the Chief Minister's Children's Heart Surgery Program is continuously monitored through the dashboard. The Punjab government has made the entire system of children's heart surgery program very transparent, he added.

In the meeting, medical equipment was also approved for 6 government children's hospitals for the Chief Minister's Children's Heart Surgery Program.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024