It also acknowledges that the health facilities available to the people of Punjab are not up to par Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has expressed deep concern over the state of healthcare in the province, revealing that government hospitals are facing serious problems, including theft of medicines and outsourcing of medical tests. She made these remarks during a ceremony in Lahore where she also spoke about the government’s initiatives to address healthcare challenges in the province. “Every day presents a new challenge,” said Maryam Nawaz. “Drugs are being stolen in public hospitals and patients are being asked to get tests done outside the hospitals. This is a serious problem that we are working to eliminate.” The chief minister also highlighted the growing risk of infiltration along the border areas of Punjab, which she termed as a major security challenge. Maryam Nawaz acknowledged the difficulties surrounding the health care system, especially in providing quality services to the 140 million people of Punjab. “The health facilities available to our people are not up to par and these issues keep me up at night,” she said. Punjab CM Maryam also pointed out that during the tenure of her father, former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, the percentage of free medicines in hospitals dropped from 90% to just 30%, a situation she promised to change. “Under the leadership of Shahbaz Sharif, free medicines were almost completely discontinued. In fact, it was boldly declared that cancer treatment would no longer be free,” she said. But she assured the public that the tradition of free provision of medicines was restored and she personally verified the availability of medicines during her visits to the hospital. One of the main issues that Maryam Nawaz addressed was the lack of sense of duty and service in the health sector. “Our national tragedy is that we don’t approach our work as a service or a responsibility. Many people in health-related roles just finish their shifts without understanding the value of their work,” she said. The chief minister condemned the theft of medicines in government hospitals, saying security personnel were found to be taking money from patients for hospital admission. “It is incomprehensible that medicines are stolen even from the poor and patients are asked to have tests done outside hospitals,” she added. Maryam Nawaz shared her plans to improve health infrastructure in the province. “Change will not come overnight, but we are making significant efforts,” she said, revealing that the mobile health clinics have already treated more than 7 million people. She also mentioned the launch of free home delivery of medicines focusing on the treatment of cancer, hepatitis and heart diseases. A new heart hospital with state-of-the-art facilities is also being built in Punjab. During a recent visit to China, Maryam Nawaz learned about a modern cancer treatment that she plans to bring to Pakistan. “The biggest achievement will be the introduction of this advanced cancer treatment in our country,” she said, adding that the construction of Pakistan’s first government cancer hospital was progressing rapidly. In addition, the Chief Minister announced the establishment of the Nawaz Institute of Cardiology in Sargodha, a facility that will provide treatment for heart diseases in a region where such services were previously lacking. Maryam Nawaz also highlighted the ongoing renovation of primary health centers in Punjab, with 1,250 units to be fully renovated this month. “We have 2,500 primary health care centers in Punjab and renovation work is already underway in 904 centers,” she said.
