Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz addressed a ceremony for the CM Children Heart Surgery Program, announcing plans to build a new 1,000-bed children’s hospital in the province.

She emphasized that public funds would not be allowed to be wasted on corruption and reiterated her commitment to improving healthcare services for children.

Speaking at the event, Maryam Nawaz expressed gratitude for the successful surgeries performed on thousands of children, saying, “I thank Allah for the successful heart surgeries. Over 10,000 children have received treatment, which brings me great joy.” She added that construction of the new hospital at Nawaz Sharif Medical Hospital will begin in March.

Highlighting the challenges faced by families of sick children, she said, “The illness of a child is a great trial for parents. Saving the lives of sick children is my mission, and no life should be lost due to human negligence.”

She noted that for the first time in Punjab, 800 kidney and 200 bone marrow transplants were conducted through a transplant card system.

Maryam Nawaz thanked doctors, nurses, and hospital staff for their dedication. She shared that upon assuming office, she found 15,000 children on waiting lists for treatment and stressed that no child’s life would be lost due to delays. She noted that over 10,400 pediatric open-heart surgeries and interventional procedures have been carried out in Punjab, compared to only 300 in the first year.

She also highlighted improvements in healthcare infrastructure, including a new cath lab in Mianwali, ensuring patients no longer need to travel to other cities for treatment. She emphasized strict supervision in hospitals to prevent negligence and praised doctors for dedicating themselves to public service.

Maryam Nawaz detailed initiatives such as free medicines worth 100 billion PKR, stroke injections provided free to patients, and funds allocated for cancer treatment, including 3 billion PKR for ablation procedures. She underscored that children’s heart surgery programs are not merely surgeries but a revolution in healthcare, providing facilities at no cost to patients.