Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif inaugurated the Jinnah Institute of Cardiology in Lahore on Friday, August 21, 2026. The new cardiac facility aims to provide advanced heart treatment to patients from Punjab and other parts of Pakistan.
The institute is a 256 bed hospital and has been developed to expand access to specialised cardiac care. It includes intensive care and coronary care units, advanced cardiac equipment, and a modern hybrid catheterisation laboratory. Hospital staff have also received training based on international standards.
During the inauguration, Maryam Nawaz said cardiac treatment would be provided free of cost to people in Punjab. She also announced a heart transplant fund and said heart transplant procedures at the institute would start from Saturday, August 22, 2026. She noted that a heart transplant can cost around $50,000, while eligible patients would receive the procedure free under the new initiative.
The chief minister said patients from across Pakistan would also be able to seek treatment at the institute. The wider healthcare plan also includes a proposed home dialysis programme, free injections to help prevent strokes, and Clinic on Wheels.
