Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif Friday unveiled major relief and healthcare initiatives, pledging financial assistance for flood-hit families and groundbreaking steps in cancer treatment.
Addressing a public gathering, the Chief Minister announced that families whose houses were completely destroyed by floods will receive Rs1 million in compensation, while those with partially damaged houses will be given Rs500,000.
She said a comprehensive operation for the rehabilitation of flood victims will begin within two weeks, adding, “I will not rest until every affected person in Punjab is resettled.”
Maryam Nawaz also recalled the devastation of the recent floods, describing them as the “worst in Punjab’s history,” affecting 27 districts, over 5,000 villages, and displacing 2.5 million people along with 2.2 million livestock.
“We rescued not only people but also cattle, because for a poor family, losing an animal means losing their livelihood,” she said, highlighting that food, medicine, and milk were delivered even to the remotest flood-hit areas.
On healthcare, the Chief Minister shared details of Punjab’s pioneering cancer treatment initiative through Co-ablation technology. She revealed that Pakistan has become the only country in Asia after China to introduce this advanced method, which treats cancer without surgery. The first Co-ablation machine has been installed at Mayo Hospital Lahore, with more machines being procured for Rawalpindi and Multan, and Sargodha in the second phase.
Maryam Nawaz said liver, lung, and breast cancer patients can now be treated within 60 minutes through the procedure, which costs Rs1.6 million per patient but will be provided free of charge in Punjab’s public hospitals. She credited her visit to China for introducing this technology, noting that Mayo Hospital doctors and staff have already received specialized training from Chinese experts.
In her speech, the Chief Minister also lauded Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s leadership, citing the recent strategic defense pact with Saudi Arabia, under which an attack on one nation would be considered an attack on the other. She said, “Saudi Arabia has given Pakistan unprecedented respect, saluting Shehbaz Sharif with fighter jets and releasing a song in praise of Pakistan.”
Maryam Nawaz further criticized previous governments for what she called “years of incompetence and instability,” contrasting it with what she described as the PML-N’s record of economic recovery, stability in flour prices, and improved healthcare services.
Reiterating her resolve, she declared: “Punjab has moved forward, Pakistan has moved forward. Those sitting in Adiala Jail have been left behind in history.”
