LAHORE: As many as 530 children have undergone complicated cardiac surgeries free of cost during the last two months under the Punjab Chief Minister’s Child Surgery Programme across Punjab, while thousands of other await the crucial procedures because of an acute shortage of surgeons in the public sector.

These children were operated upon at both public and private sector hospitals of three major cities — Lahore, Rawalpindi and Multan.

Launched by Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz some two months back, the programme had enrolled over 4,000 children requiring complicated heart surgeries.

Despite the launch of this programme, many children with cardiac issues are still waiting for their turns because of the long waiting lists as there was an acute dearth of the paeds cardiac surgeons in the province.

University of Child Health Lahore Vice Chancellor Prof Masood Sadiq told Dawn the programme has proved a “game-changer” in addressing the chronic issue of long waiting list for the surgeries.

Thousands other wait in queue

Explaining the reason for the long waiting list, he said there are only eight paedriatic cardiac surgeons available in the public sector health institutes all over Punjab. One of these surgeons has proceeded to the US, leaving behind seven others to handle the enormous burden of thousands of children needing cardiac surgeries, he added.

Prof Masood said the involvement of private sector in the programme would also be extended to other major cities in the coming months.

Of the total surgeries to be performed under the programme, 50 children were referred to private hospitals, where 35 of them were operated upon, while the cases of the remaining ones are under process. The data was shared in an important meeting held here on Thursday.

Briefing the meeting, Provincial Health Minister Khawaja Salman Rafique said the scope of this programme is being expanded as the initiative helped a lot in reducing the long pending list of the minor cardiac patients, who were being given months-long waiting time for the surgeries, and in some cases the period extended to over a year.

Under this programme, he said, there has been a considerable reduction in the waiting list for surgeries of children.

He added that the capacity of Punjab’s children’s hospitals was being increased to benefit more children in need of cardiac procedures under the CM’s programme, and addressing the concerns of their parents regarding the long waiting lists.

Mr Rafique said the programme is being continuously monitored through a dashboard to ensure transparency and merit in the service delivery and enrollment of children for cardiac procedures.

In the meeting, provision of medical equipment was also approved for six government children’s hospitals to successfully run the Chief Minister’s Children’s Heart Surgery Programme there.

Parliamentary Secretary Rushda Lodhi, Punjab Health Secretary Azmat Mahmood Khan, Punjab Health Initiative Management Company CEO Dr Ali Razaq and representatives of Punjab Information Technology Board, retired Maj Gen Dr. Azhar Mehmood Kayani, Prof Farqad Alamgir and others participated in the meeting.

Published in Dawn, November 8th, 2024