GUJAR KHAN: Residents of Jhelum district and surrounding areas have started receiving treatment for heart diseases at the newly established cardiac catheterisation lab at the District Headquarters Hospital (DHQ) Jhelum.

The facility provides both diagnostic and treatment services for cardiac disorders. Dr Mian Mazhar Hayat, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the District Health Authority (DHA) Jhelum, told Dawn that soon after the inauguration of this much-awaited facility, patients suffering from cardiac disorders began visiting in large numbers. They are being diagnosed and treated by a competent team of cardiac surgeons and specialists.

According to the CEO, the medical superintendent of DHQ directly leads the teams, which include two cardiologists, seven medical officers (MOs), and the necessary paramedical staff. Some cases of Coronary Artery Disease (CAD), Anterior Wall Myocardial Infarction (AWMI), and Left Anterior Descending Artery (LAD) blockages have already been admitted and treated at the Cath Lab within a week.

Deputy Commissioner Jhelum, Mir Reza Ozgen, said this project was much needed to provide emergency health coverage for road users traveling between Rawalpindi and Lahore, as a large number of cardiac patients had previously lost their lives before reaching RIC in Rawalpindi or PIC in Lahore.

He added that the state-of-the-art cardiac catheterisation lab was completed in a short period of one and a half years at a cost of Rs179 million, with strict quality control measures ensuring high standards of work.

Chaudhry Abid Hussain, a journalist from Jhelum, said that residents of remote areas such as Lillah, Domeli, and Pind Dadan Khan in the Salt Range now have access to the district’s “first-choice health facility,” bringing relief to the local population.

Adviser to the Chief Minister Punjab Major General Dr Azhar Kiani, a cardiologist who previously headed the Armed Forces Institute of Cardiology (AFIC) Rawalpindi, told Dawn that this initiative was led by Maryam Nawaz Sharif at the district level.

Dr Kiani added that almost all districts in Punjab will gradually receive well-equipped cardiac catheterisation labs. He described the project as his long-cherished dream for his home district, Jhelum, and expressed gratitude on behalf of its residents.

The facility was inaugurated a week ago by Punjab Health Minister Khawaja Imran Nazir.

Published in Dawn, January 18th, 2026