British-Pakistani cardiothoracic surgeon Dr. Hasnat Khan has returned to Pakistan from the United Kingdom and has been appointed head of the Jinnah Institute of Cardiology in Lahore. He will serve in a dual role as Chief Executive Officer and Dean of the newly established facility.
Dr. Khan was selected after a formal interview process, according to Dr. Farqad Alamgir, Chairman of the Punjab Chief Minister’s Advisory Committee on Cardiology. His appointment has been finalized under a special pay package, and he has requested approximately two months before formally assuming charge. Health Department officials confirmed that coordination with him regarding the transition is ongoing.
Punjab’s Specialized Health Minister Khawaja Salman Rafiq confirmed the appointment, describing Dr. Khan as an accomplished cardiac surgeon whose arrival is expected to bring improvements to the hospital and help elevate cardiac surgery services to international standards.
Dr. Hasnat Khan Career and Medical Background
Born in Jhelum, Punjab, on April 1, 1958, Dr. Khan received his medical degree from King Edward Medical University in Lahore in 1984. He subsequently relocated to Australia, where he was selected by the Australian Medical Council for training in adult cardiac surgery, gaining experience in both pediatric and adult procedures at hospitals in Sydney.
He later moved to the United Kingdom, where he trained in general surgery and cardiac surgery at several London hospitals. He began his first registrar post in adult cardiac surgery at Leeds Royal Infirmary in 1994, followed by research supported by the British Heart Foundation at the National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London. He joined the Essex Cardiothoracic Centre in 2008, where he served as lead surgeon with a subspecialization in mitral valve and aortic root surgery. He also holds a Fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh. Between 2014 and 2016, he served as Head of Cardiothoracic Surgery at King Faisal Heart Centre. During his career, he also commissioned two cardiac centers, one in Saudi Arabia and another in Malaysia.
His clinical specializations include mitral valve repair and reconstruction, surgery for heart failure, thoracic aorta surgery, coronary revascularization, re-operations for valvular heart disease, and minimally invasive cardiac procedures. His maternal uncle, Dr. Jawad Sajad, is also a practicing heart surgeon.
Dr. Khan gained international public recognition in the mid-1990s due to his association with Diana, Princess of Wales, whom he met in 1995 at Royal Brompton Hospital in London. Princess Diana reportedly visited his family in Lahore during her 1996 Pakistan trip.
Jinnah Institute of Cardiology Lahore Still in Final Preparation Stage
The Jinnah Institute of Cardiology is currently in its final stages of preparation. Recruitment for medical and administrative staff has already begun, with between 250 and 350 positions to be filled across clinical and operational roles. The institute is expected to become a major referral center for advanced cardiac care in Lahore once operational.
Dr. Khan expressed his desire to contribute his medical expertise to healthcare in Pakistan. Officials described his appointment as part of broader efforts to bring globally trained Pakistani specialists back to the country and raise the standard of cardiac care available to patients in the region.
