The Peshawar Institute of Cardiology (PIC) treated over 2,500 patients with complex heart diseases last year, including patients from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, other provinces, and Afghanistan. The highest number of patients came from Punjab.

According to official figures, a total of 2,571 patients were treated at PIC last year, including 1,597 from Afghanistan, 628 from Punjab, 104 from Sindh, 96 from Islamabad, 73 from Azad Kashmir, 48 from Balochistan, and 25 from Gilgit-Baltistan.

According to the institute’s Dean, Professor Syed Shehkar Ahmed Shah, cardiologists from other provinces refer complex cases to PIC because it has modern facilities and expert doctors.

 He said that major heart surgeries at PIC are carried out at lower costs and better standards compared to private hospitals.

He added that patients from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa receive free treatment under the Sehat Card Plus program, while patients from other provinces and Afghanistan bear the costs of diagnosis and treatment themselves.

Officials stated that since 2020, nearly 300,000 residents of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa across the country have benefited from free treatment under Sehat Card Plus. Meanwhile, patients coming from Punjab for treatment in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa pay fees.

According to the data, last year PIC treated 79,634 patients from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, including 11,296 children. The 300-bed institute, established in December 2020, holds a prominent position in modern heart treatment across the country.