CM Maryam announces additional Rs5b for stroke treatment

Addressing an event marking World Stroke Day at the Punjab Institute of Neurosciences (PINS), she said 15 more stroke centres would be established in Punjab, adding that no patient would be denied treatment because of a shortage of funds.

She directed the relevant officials to inform her directly if additional financial resources were required to provide treatment to stroke patients.The chief minister also announced that heart transplant surgeries would begin soon at the Jinnah Institute of Cardiology, while state-of-the-art catheterisation laboratories were being planned in 20 districts to expand cardiac care.

Emphasising the importance of timely intervention, she said stroke patients had a critical window of four to five hours in which prompt medical treatment could significantly improve their chances of recovery.She urged people to seek immediate medical assistance if they experienced symptoms such as weakness in an arm or difficulty speaking, advising them to call Rescue 1122 without delay.

High blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease and high cholesterol were among the major risk factors for stroke, she said, stressing that its symptoms should never be ignored.

During her visit to PINS, Ms Maryam inspected the intensive care unit and control room, observed neurosurgical procedures from the operating theatre gallery and interacted with patients.

She also witnessed stroke patients undergoing rehabilitation through robotic physiotherapy.She said Rescue 1122 had helped save the lives of 85 stroke patients by transporting them to stroke centres in time, commending the rescue service and medical teams for their efforts.

The chief minister highlighted the financial and geographical barriers faced by stroke patients, noting that the cost of the TNK injection used in treatment was beyond the reach of many ordinary people.

Travelling from distant districts, including Rahim Yar Khan, to Lahore for emergency care posed additional difficulties for patients and their families, she added.Establishing treatment facilities closer to patients’ homes would help overcome these barriers and improve access to timely medical intervention, she said.

Provincial Health Minister Khawaja Salman Rafique said the provincial government had established 40 stroke centres, comprising 38 primary stroke centres and two comprehensive stroke centres.

He also reported that 2.6 million dialysis sessions and 2,400 cardiac surgeries had been performed in the province.

Ms Maryam said PINS Executive Director Dr Asif Bashir and head of neurology Dr Qasim Bashir were training doctors and nurses to strengthen specialised stroke care.She said stroke treatment was available at PINS/General Hospital, the Rawalpindi Institute of Cardiology and Sheikh Zayed Hospital, while services were being extended to Holy Family Hospital in Rawalpindi and hospitals in Multan and Faisalabad.

The chief minister said the government planned to establish a paediatric centre at every divisional headquarters so that parents would not have to travel to Lahore when their children needed specialised treatment.She also announced that a cancer hospital was being built in Lahore to provide free treatment to underprivileged patients.

A pain management centre would be established at the facility to alleviate the suffering of patients with advanced-stage cancer, she added.Specialised facilities for treating genetic and blood disorders were also being developed at Nawaz Sharif Medical District, she said.The chief minister claimed that the provincial government had spent Rs100 billion on providing free medicines, while 100 million people had received treatment at government hospitals over the past year.She said between….