Multan cancer centre opens with free treatment for patients

Punjab Information Minister Azma Bukhari announced on Sunday that cancer patients in Multan will be able to receive treatment free of charge following the inauguration of a specialised cancer facility in the city. The development expands the provincial government's cancer-care initiative beyond Lahore and introduces a dedicated treatment option for patients in southern Punjab.

Bukhari said Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz had inaugurated the Coblation and Cancer Centre in Multan. According to the minister, patients suffering from cancer at all stages would be treated at the facility without charge. The announcement places free access to treatment at the centre of the new facility's stated purpose, although detailed eligibility and registration requirements were not outlined.

The minister also said patients would not have to face prolonged waits for procedures at the centre. She stated that the treatment procedure for each patient would be completed within 60 minutes. The announcement did not provide further technical details about which procedures would fall under that timeframe, how many patients could be treated each day or whether the target would apply to every service available at the centre.

The Multan facility is being presented as part of a broader effort to expand specialised cancer care across Punjab rather than concentrating such services only in Lahore. Establishing treatment capacity in Multan is intended to make specialised services available to patients in another major population centre, particularly those seeking care in the southern part of the province.

Bukhari also referred to the development of the Nawaz Sharif Cancer Hospital in Lahore, saying the 1,000-bed facility had been completed and would serve cancer patients. Her remarks linked the Multan centre with the provincial administration's wider healthcare programme and its stated objective of increasing access to cancer treatment at multiple locations.

Several operational details about the new Multan centre were not included in the announcement. Information on patient registration, referral procedures, appointment systems, the range of cancers and procedures covered, staffing levels and the facility's daily treatment capacity was not specified. Further guidance from health authorities will therefore be important for patients seeking to understand how and when they can access the free services.

For patients and families in Punjab, the central element of the announcement is the commitment that cancer treatment at the Multan facility will be provided without charge. The next stage will be the centre's operational rollout and the release of practical information governing access to its services. Additional official details are expected to clarify registration procedures, treatment availability and how patients can be referred to the facility.