Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz Sharif has said that “Healthy Heart, Healthy Punjab” is our resolve. On World Heart Day, the chief minister paid tribute to the services of doctors, nurses and paramedical staff.
In her special message on World Heart Day, CM Maryam Nawaz Sharif said that prevention is better than cure when it comes to heart diseases, and healthy changes in lifestyle are essential.
The chief minister reiterated her commitment to establishing cath labs and cardiology centres in all district hospitals across Punjab. Successful procedures have been performed on 7,294 cardiac patients at cath labs in six districts of Punjab.
Angiography has been performed on 4,448 patients, while 2,763 patients have undergone angioplasty at cath labs in Jhelum, Jhang, Vehari, Kasur, Mianwali and Bahawalnagar.
CM Maryam Nawaz Sharif said that temporary pacemakers had been successfully implanted in two patients at the Cath Lab of District Headquarters Hospital, Kasur.
Cath labs will be established in eight districts by November and in seven districts by February, she added. The chief minister directed that provision of free medicines be ensured at all cardiac hospitals, including the Punjab Institute of Cardiology.
“Free medicines, free stents and free bypass surgeries are being provided to heart patients,” CM Maryam Nawaz Sharif said. Free blood pressure and blood sugar screening is being carried out at Clinics on Wheels and Field Hospitals, she added.
The chief minister urged students to avoid junk food and smoking. She said state-of-the-art cardiac centres would be established in every division of Punjab.
CM Maryam Nawaz Sharif stressed the need for launching an awareness campaign regarding heart diseases among women. She also directed the launch of awareness programmes in schools focusing on children’s heart health and physical activity.
