Punjab Child Heart Surgeries programme completes 10,000 free treatments milestone

The Punjab Child Heart Surgeries programme has reached a major milestone, as more than 10,000 children received free heart operations. Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif announced this during a ceremony in Lahore. She praised doctors and medical staff for their dedicated efforts.

The chief minister also inaugurated a new Intensive Care Unit at the Children’s Hospital Lahore. She visited the facility and met children who were recovering from surgery. She expressed satisfaction with the quality of care provided there.

Officials said the programme helped children not only from Punjab but also other regions. According to official figures, 425 children from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa received surgeries. Similarly, 250 children from Azad Kashmir also benefited. In addition, patients from Islamabad, Gilgit-Baltistan, Balochistan, and Sindh were treated under the same programme.

Provincial Health Minister Khawaja Salman Rafique confirmed that 10,331 surgeries were completed so far. He said the programme continues to expand to help more families. He added that many parents could not afford these expensive procedures otherwise.

Medical experts explained that heart disease affects thousands of children every year. University of Child Health Sciences Vice Chancellor Dr Masood Sadiq said around 50,000 children are born with heart problems annually. Out of them, nearly half need urgent surgery to survive.

To improve services, the government increased the number of cardiac surgeons and physicians at the hospital. As a result, more children can now receive timely treatment. Officials believe this step will reduce waiting times.

The Punjab Child Heart Surgeries programme is part of wider healthcare support for children. Under other initiatives, hundreds of cochlear implants and bone marrow transplants were also performed free of cost.

Officials said the government remains committed to providing free medical care. They added that this programme gives new hope to families across Pakistan.