GUJRAT: The Punjab government plans to establish Maryam Nawaz Sharif Institute of Cardiology in Gujranwala at a cost of Rs16 billion and upgrade the emergency department of children’s hospital of the city.

A key meeting was held on Thursday under the chairmanship of Punjab Minister for Health Khwaja Salman Rafique in Gujranwala to review the related administrative matters regarding the establishment of new health facility.

Specialised Healthcare & Medical Education Secretary Azmat Mahmood gave a briefing on the project’s progress, available resources, and future targets.

The meeting was attended by MNAs Mahmood Bashir Virk and Shahid Usman Ibrahim, MPAs Muhammad Nawaz Chauhan and Imran Khalid Butt, former MPAs Muhammad Taufiq Butt and Muazzam Rauf Mughal, medical superintendents of allied teaching hospitals, Gujranwala Medical College Principal Prof Haroon and other respective officials.

During the meeting, detailed discussions were held on improving healthcare facilities, ensuring effective administrative oversight in hospitals, and providing quality medical services to the public.

It was also decided to upgrade the emergency department of the Children’s Hospital, Gujranwala.

Addressing the meeting, the health minister said that a state-of-the-art Maryam Nawaz Sharif Institute of Cardiology is being constructed in Gujranwala at a cost of Rs16bn, which will provide advanced cardiac care facilities to millions of people in the region. He said the government was taking revolutionary steps in the health sector, and delivering modern healthcare services to people at their doorstep was a top priority.

He said that efforts were also underway to improve the Wazirabad Institute of Cardiology, which would prove to be a milestone in the treatment of heart diseases.

Specialised Healthcare Secretary Azmat Mahmood said the institute would be equipped with modern medical equipment, qualified doctors, and patient-friendly facilities, while effective coordination among all relevant departments was essential to strengthen the healthcare system.

At the conclusion of the meeting, it was reaffirmed that the Maryam Nawaz Institute of Cardiology will be developed on modern lines as upon completion, residents of Gujranwala and surrounding areas will no longer need to travel to major cities for the treatment of heart diseases.

Earlier, the Punjab government of former chief minister Parvez Elahi had established a cardiology hospital in Wazirabad town of Gujranwala region around two decades ago which has been facing multiple issues in getting fully functional up to its original designed capacity.

Published in Dawn, March 27th, 2026