LAHORE – Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has approved the country’s first “Dialysis Program Card,” under which the funds for the treatment of dialysis patients have been increased to up to Rs1 million.
For every kidney disease patient in the province, Rs850,000 has been allocated for dialysis, and Rs150,000 for tests and other related procedures. It has been directed that free medicines and tests for dialysis patients be ensured.
The chief minister chaired a special meeting in which progress on health programs and projects was reviewed. The briefing revealed that patients from other provinces are also benefiting from free dialysis services, and free medicines from Punjab are being sent to Sindh, Balochistan, and other provinces.
The chief minister has instructed that dialysis for patients should continue under all circumstances, and vowed to set up more dialysis units in Punjab.
The Punjab Healthcare Commission has been directed to ensure the implementation of SOPs in dialysis centers, and strict monitoring of dialysis centers across the province has also been ordered.
Maryam Nawaz Sharif was strongly upset over the incident of the spread of AIDS among dialysis patients in Multan. She has sought a report within 24 hours. Maryam Nawaz said that the spread of AIDS among dialysis patients is not only regrettable but also shameful.
