LAHORE: Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz Sharif formally launched the province’s first Community Health Inspectors’ Programme at a large ceremony held at the Punjab Hockey Stadium, marking a major step towards strengthening grassroots-level public health services. The chief minister inaugurated the programme digitally and walked around the stadium track, stopping in front of each enclosure to acknowledge and encourage the inspectors representing different districts. She also completed a full round of the track to personally welcome the participants. In her speech, the Chief Minister said the provincial government believes in proactive governance rather than reacting after problems emerge, emphasising that preventive healthcare remains central to her administration’s vision. She said that once 55,000 community health inspectors step into the field, diseases will be driven out of Punjab. “The government no longer waits for people to come to it; instead, it goes door to door,” she said, adding that prevention is far less painful than treatment after illness has already taken hold. Maryam Nawaz Sharif described the Community Health Inspectors initiative as a transformative step, stating that Punjab’s women have the strength and determination to change the province’s destiny. Congratulating Provincial Minister for Health and Population Welfare Khawaja Imran Nazir, the health secretary and their entire team, the Chief Minister said the inspectors undergo months of training and are now ready to serve humanity by delivering healthcare at the grassroots level. Calling the community health inspectors her “eyes, ears and pride,” she said, Punjab, by the grace of Allah, is becoming self-reliant across sectors. She noted that women play a defining role in Punjab’s development and contribute effectively to improving public health outcomes. She said that through clinics-on-wheels and field hospitals, medical treatment have already been provided to nearly 30 million people across the province. Under the new programme, community health inspectors will be able to conduct basic diagnostic tests, including blood sugar checks, and administer injections. Maryam Nawaz Sharif said she personally took interest in designing the inspectors’ uniforms and approving their toolkits. She added that 25,000 individuals have already been provided employment under the programme, with a monthly salary of Rs 50,000. “Those who prove themselves through performance will see further increases in their salaries,” she said, acknowledging the demanding nature of door-to-door service. She explained that this programme will result in the creation of a digital health profile for every household, enabling early detection of diseases and maintaining complete medical records through digital systems. Patients will be examined and, where necessary, referred to relevant hospitals for further treatment. “The time has come when people do not have to come to the government; the government itself comes to them,” she said, adding that the dignity and respect of women serving in the field is a collective responsibility. Referring to broader healthcare reforms, Maryam Nawaz Sharif said free medicines for cancer and heart diseases are being provided, while cardiology institutes are established in Sargodha, Sahiwal and Murree. She noted that a cath lab is operational in Jhelum and that similar facilities are set to be launched in Jhang. She also cited the ‘Suthra Punjab’ initiative as a strong example of effective governance, with sanitation teams going door to door across the province. “It is my dream that no patient visiting a government hospital ever faces hardship,” Chief Minister said, reaffirming her commitment to providing comprehensive healthcare facilities to the people of Punjab. Copyright Business Recorder, 2026