# Maryam Nawaz adds Rs 5 billion for stroke treatment in Punjab, plans 15 more stroke centres

Source: Searchable (https://searchable.pk/news/health/maryam-nawaz-adds-rs-5-billion-for-stroke-treatment-in-punjab-plans-15-more)
Type: News article
Author: Searchable Editorial
Published: 29 Oct 2026
Updated: 29 Oct 2026
Retrieved: 30 Oct 2026

> Announced at the Punjab Institute of Neurosciences on World Stroke Day: more money so no patient is turned away, stroke and heart units in every division, and heart transplants soon at Jinnah Institute of Cardiology. Plus the warning signs and why the first hours count.

**Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif announced an extra Rs 5 billion for stroke treatment on Thursday 29 October**, World Stroke Day, at the **Punjab Institute of Neurosciences (PINS)** in Lahore, [ARY News reported](https://arynews.tv/cm-punjab-announces-additional-rs-5bn-for-stroke-treatment). She said no stroke patient should be refused treatment for lack of money and told officials to come to her directly if more funds are needed.

## What was announced

- **Rs 5 billion more** for stroke care across Punjab.
- **15 more stroke centres.** Punjab now has **40**: 38 primary and 2 comprehensive, Health Minister **Khawaja Salman Rafique** said.
- Stroke centres, cardiac facilities, paediatric centres and cancer hospitals at **every divisional headquarters**, so patients from districts such as Rahim Yar Khan do not have to travel to Lahore.
- **Heart transplants** to begin soon at the **Jinnah Institute of Cardiology** in Lahore.
- Catheterisation (cath) labs in 20 districts; eight or nine already have one, ARY reported.

The chief minister noted that the clot-dissolving **TNK (tenecteplase) injection**, used in the first hours after a stroke, is too expensive for many families, which is one reason for the extra money. Rescue 1122 has so far taken 85 stroke patients to specialised centres in time, she said. At PINS, Executive Director **Dr Asif Bashir** and head of neurology **Dr Qasim Bashir** are training doctors and nurses in stroke care.

## Know the warning signs: act within hours

Clot-dissolving treatment works best within about **four to five hours** of the first symptoms, the chief minister said. Doctors use the **FAST** check:

1. **Face:** one side of the face droops when the person smiles.
2. **Arm:** one arm is weak or drifts down when both are raised.
3. **Speech:** words are slurred or strange, or the person cannot speak.
4. **Time:** call **Rescue 1122** straight away and note the time the symptoms started. Do not wait to see if it passes.

Go to a hospital with a stroke unit, not a clinic. High blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease and high cholesterol raise the risk, so regular checks matter most for people over 40. Find hospitals near you in our [hospitals directory for Lahore](/businesses/hospitals/lahore).

## The wider health spending she cited

The chief minister said Punjab has spent **Rs 100 billion on free medicines**, and that 100 million people were treated at government hospitals over the past year. Between 15,000 and 16,000 children, some from other provinces, have had heart surgery in Punjab, and a cancer hospital in Lahore will treat poor patients free, with a pain management centre for advanced cancer. The health minister put dialysis sessions at 2.6 million and cardiac surgeries at 2,400. These figures are the government's own and were not independently checked.

## Frequently asked questions

**What should I do if someone is having a stroke in Punjab?**

Call Rescue 1122 immediately, note when symptoms started and go to a hospital with a stroke unit. Clot-dissolving treatment works best within about four to five hours.

**How many stroke centres does Punjab have?**

40 as of October 2026 (38 primary and 2 comprehensive), with 15 more planned, according to Punjab Health Minister Khawaja Salman Rafique.

## Sources

- CM Punjab announces additional Rs.5bn for stroke treatment (29 Oct 2026) (ARY News): https://arynews.tv/cm-punjab-announces-additional-rs-5bn-for-stroke-treatment

How to cite: "Maryam Nawaz adds Rs 5 billion for stroke treatment in Punjab, plans 15 more stroke centres", Searchable, 29 Oct 2026, https://searchable.pk/news/health/maryam-nawaz-adds-rs-5-billion-for-stroke-treatment-in-punjab-plans-15-more