Punjab becomes first in South Asia to launch Co-ablation Cancer Treatment

Punjab has emerged as a regional leader in cancer treatment as Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif inaugurated Pakistan’s first government-run Co-ablation Centre at Mayo Hospital, Lahore, on Thursday, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

The province is now the first in South Asia to introduce this advanced treatment technology.

During her visit, the Chief Minister inspected the newly installed Co-ablation machine in the hospital’s surgical ward and directed health officials to immediately procure five more machines for other hospitals across Punjab. She also instructed the establishment of a dedicated pool of doctors, staff, and master trainers to ensure specialised treatment facilities for cancer patients.

Briefing the Chief Minister, Senior Interventional Radiologist Dr. Shahzad Karim Bhatti explained that the Co-ablation machine destroys cancer cells in two stages: first by freezing them to minus 198 degrees using colloidal nitrogen, and then by heating them to 83 degrees, ensuring complete cell destruction. Each operation lasts between 60 to 120 minutes, with patients able to walk within hours. The cost of each treatment is estimated at Rs. 1.6 million.

Initially, liver, lung, and breast cancers are being treated through Co-ablation technology. Dr Bhatti, trained in China by bioengineers and technicians, is leading the procedures.

CM Maryam Nawaz also interacted with patients who had undergone successful treatment, including Rana Muhammad Asghar, whose complex liver cancer was treated, Muhammad Akram with a lung tumor, and Miss Parveen and Iqbal Bano, among others. Patients expressed gratitude, calling the Chief Minister their “benefactor,” with one remarking that “Maryam Nawaz has done what she promised.”

Young doctors and paramedics congratulated the Chief Minister on her landmark initiative, while health experts termed the move a “new history” in cancer treatment for the region.