Clinic on Wheels crosses 30 million patients, Punjab says

Punjab's Clinic on Wheels programme has provided care to more than 30 million patients, the provincial government said, as Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz approved a package to upgrade 300 rural health centres into fully equipped hospitals and broaden telemedicine services.

The announcement came during a video-link meeting chaired by Maryam Nawaz and briefed by Secretary Primary and Secondary Healthcare Nadia Saqib, ARY News reported. Independent News Pakistan also reported the same 30 million figure. The chief minister reviewed hospital performance and patient services during the meeting.

Under the plan, Punjab will introduce a digital medical box for the first time. The device will support ultrasound, blood sugar testing, complete blood count and ECG, and a camera can be attached for teleconferencing with medical professionals. A separate smart ultrasound device will connect to a mobile phone. The digital medical box is part of efforts to improve diagnostics at first-contact facilities.

The chief minister ordered the immediate replacement of medical superintendents at four hospitals over alleged negligence. A monthly Hospital of the Month award will recognise outstanding performance. The government has recruited more than 40,000 doctors and healthcare workers for hospitals across Punjab, including doctors, women medical officers and consultants, and has deployed 7,572 Lady Health Visitors and 5,048 support staff.

A pool of doctors will be established for emergency response, and every district will receive a new CT scan machine. Telemedicine centres will provide video consultations for seasonal and common illnesses, refer patients to appropriate hospital wards, and arrange laboratory appointments. Under the telemedicine system, patients will be able to consult doctors through video calls and receive referrals to the right service.

For quality assurance, the province has appointed Clinic Quality Control Officers and established a Directorate of Monitoring for primary healthcare. It will conduct 24-hour digital monitoring of district headquarters hospitals, field hospitals and Clinic on Wheels services. The chief minister also directed authorities to improve cleanliness and parking at hospitals.

Health inspectors have helped compile data on more than 119.8 million people, according to the briefing, to improve planning and service delivery. Thousands of patients with diabetes, hepatitis and tuberculosis are receiving medicines at home. The meeting also reached agreement in principle on legislation to connect private clinics with the Health Information Management System.