Senior Punjab Minister Maryam Aurangzeb has clarified that the name of the “Jinnah Institute of Cardiology” remains unchanged and there is no consideration of altering it.
This statement comes in response to circulating reports suggesting that the name of Jinnah Institute of Cardiology had been changed to “Maryam Nawaz Institute of Cardiovascular Disease.”
Earlier on Monday, Punjab Health Minister Khawaja Salman Rafique confirmed in a media interaction that the hospital was no longer an extension of Jinnah Hospital but would function as an independent institution. He added that the administration of the hospital would also be separate from Jinnah Hospital and that it would operate under a governing board.
However, Maryam Aurangzeb clarified via her official statement on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) that the name remains “Jinnah Institute of Cardiology,” and any change is out of the question.
She further stated that funding in the Punjab government’s Annual Development Program for the fiscal year 2025-26 has been allocated under the name “Jinnah Institute of Cardiology.”
Aurangzeb also mentioned that 14 new hospitals will be established in the Nawaz Sharif Medical District to provide modern treatment of international standards, and that the master planning for these hospitals is nearing completion.
Punjab Health Minister’s Recent Statement
In a special media briefing on Tuesday, Punjab Health Minister Khawaja Salman Rafique revealed that Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz opposed the name change, emphasizing that what truly matters is performance, not the name.
He further clarified that Maryam Nawaz had no role in the decision to change the name, and she has issued clear instructions that there will be no name change.
According to him, the proposal to change the name had been taken at the departmental and cabinet levels.
