Federal Minister Reviews Prosthetics & Orthotics Support, Announces Expanded Medical Aid

Islamabad, January 08, 2026 – Federal Minister for Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety, Syed Imran Ahmed Shah, conducted a detailed visit to the National Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine (NIRM) today, with a special focus on the provision of artificial limbs and orthotic devices for persons with disabilities.

The visit centered on reviewing the medical financial assistance provided through Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal (PBM), where the Minister announced significant enhancements to the programme, directly benefiting individuals in need of mobility and assistive devices.

During the tour, Minister Shah inspected NIRM’s prosthetics Lab , observing the meticulous process of assembling and providing artificial limbs, orthoses, hearing aids, and other critical assistive devices. He termed NIRM’s rehabilitation services “critically important” for empowering persons with disabilities and special needs.

“The government’s clear priority is to ensure that no deserving individual is deprived of life-saving surgery or essential prosthetic treatment due to financial constraints,” the Minister stated while addressing the media.

Highlighting the government’s commitment, Minister Shah shared that from 2022 to 2025, over 2,267 deserving patients at NIRM received treatment and rehabilitation support funded by PBM, with an expenditure of approximately PKR 278 million.

He announced that priority is being given to cases involving major surgeries, artificial limbs, implants, and speech and physical rehabilitation.

Emphasizing a zero-tolerance policy for delays, the Minister directed that a dedicated PBM facilitation desk be established at NIRM. He mandated that all medical assistance cases must be resolved within one month, with an effective fast-track mechanism for emergencies.

“Assistance is provided only after rigorous case verification, medical assessment, and hospital validation,” he said, also calling for improved online case tracking and a fully computerized system to ensure transparency.

The Minister appreciated the ongoing Ramadan relief efforts of the Benazir Income Support Programme and affirmed that all social protection initiatives are being advanced in a coordinated manner. He announced plans for similar review visits to hospitals across the country, including Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan, to strengthen grassroots medical assistance systems.

In closing, he commended the management and staff of NIRM and PBM, noting that their collaboration is a “successful example of integrating rehabilitation healthcare and social protection.”

This visit underscores the government’s intensified focus on making essential rehabilitative care, particularly orthotics and prosthetics, accessible to all citizens regardless of their financial situation.

Photo: Federal Minister for Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Syed Imran Ahmad Shah visits the National Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine (NIRM) in Islamabad on January 8, 2025. — APP