Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif on Wednesday launched the province’s first Community Health Inspectors Programme, marking a major step towards strengthening preventive healthcare at the grassroots level.
More than 55,000 community health inspectors from across Punjab attended the launch ceremony held at the Punjab Hockey Stadium. Addressing the gathering, the chief minister said her government believes in proactive governance rather than responding only after problems arise. She stressed that preventive healthcare is a core pillar of her administration’s vision.
Maryam Nawaz said that once the 55,000 inspectors begin fieldwork, diseases would be pushed out of Punjab. “The government no longer waits for people to come to it; instead, it goes door to door,” she said, adding that preventing illness is far less painful and costly than treating disease after it has spread.
She highlighted the role of women in the initiative, saying that when mothers, sisters and daughters step forward to serve in the field, no force can defeat Punjab. She described the programme as a transformative move and said Punjab’s women have the strength and determination to change the province’s future.
The chief minister said the inspectors have undergone months of training and are now prepared to serve communities by delivering basic healthcare services at the doorstep. Calling the inspectors her “eyes, ears and pride,” she said Punjab is moving towards self-reliance in multiple sectors, with women playing a central role in development and public health improvement.
She added that through clinics-on-wheels and field hospitals, nearly 30 million people across the province have already received medical treatment. Under the new programme, community health inspectors will conduct basic diagnostic tests, including blood sugar screening, and administer injections, helping to expand access to essential healthcare services across Punjab.