Punjab Health Minister Khawaja Salman Rafique has announced that the Chief Minister’s Stroke Program will provide free treatment worth more than Rs. 3 billion annually to stroke patients across the province.
He made the statement while chairing the first meeting of the Advisory Committee on the program. The initiative aims to expand stroke care services and reduce preventable deaths. The minister said Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has approved the establishment of a stroke management center in every district.
Authorities are also moving forward with plans to appoint a neurologist and a pediatric neurologist at each District Headquarters Hospital. The government is developing a mechanism to train doctors and nurses in immediate stroke management across all districts.
A telemedicine system will also allow district hospitals to consult specialists for timely treatment. The program will launch a public awareness campaign highlighting the importance of early treatment during the critical “golden hours.”
Professor Qasim Bashir informed the committee that one in four people over the age of 25 faces the risk of stroke. Officials also confirmed that training workshops will begin soon and that existing health resources will be integrated to strengthen the program.
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