Lahore: During her visit to the Punjab Institute of Cardiology (PIC), Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif issued directives for urgent administrative reforms to enhance the facility’s services. She emphasized the need for rapid development of PIC 2 to alleviate patient overcrowding and called for the immediate appointment of an administrative head to better manage the operations and combat inefficiencies linked to corrupt practices.
According to Punjab Portal announcement issued on 23 October 2024, “Chief Minister Sharif stressed the urgency of appointing an administrative head for PIC-2 and instructed for the implementation of modern medical equipment and a catheterization laboratory.” Her visit included inspections of the emergency and triage wards, where she monitored the patient intake and treatment initiation processes.
During her tour, the Chief Minister also visited the air ambulance patient ward, where she met with Amjad Ali, a heart patient recently transferred from Bahawalpur. Ali expressed his gratitude for the air ambulance service, which Sharif noted as a public right, underscoring that it was not a favor but a standard of care that citizens deserve. She further interacted with both patients and medical staff throughout the facility, addressing immediate health care needs and resolving issues on the spot, including the provision of an emergency wheelchair to an elderly patient which had been previously overlooked.
The Chief Minister’s visit concluded with a comprehensive briefing from the Executive Director of PIC on the hospital’s current challenges and the planned revamping efforts. She firmly directed the hospital management to take decisive actions against corruption that impedes service delivery and affects patient care.