Punjab nears completion of first-ever digital health census

• Province becomes first in Pakistan to digitally map citizens' health and demographic profiles

• Over 94.3m residents registered as profiling surpasses 85pc across 18 districts

• CM Maryam says verified data will drive healthcare planning, replacing estimates, while lauding anti-polio gains after 19 districts report negative environmental samples

• 16 Cath Labs to be operational by December as healthcare infrastructure expands

 LAHORE: Punjab has become the first province in the country to digitally map the health and demographic profiles of its citizens, with the province's largest-ever digital health census nearing completion under Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz's Community Health Inspectors Programme, marking a major step towards data-driven healthcare planning and service delivery.

More than 85 percent of the population in 18 districts has already been covered through health and demographic profiling. Five districts have achieved 100 percent coverage, while another five have completed more than 95 percent profiling. In all, nearly 94.3 million health and demographic profiles have been registered across Punjab.

Progress on the initiative was reviewed during a high-level meeting of the Health and Population Department chaired by Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz.

The meeting was informed that every household in Punjab had been assigned a unique identification number through digital mapping, while 14,300 Community Health Inspectors had conducted door-to-door visits to collect citizens' medical, demographic and socio-economic data.

The chief minister personally reviewed the programme's digital dashboard, which contains comprehensive information on citizens' health status, lifestyles, economic conditions, access to drinking water and disabilities.

The meeting was further informed that 16 cardiac catheterisation laboratories (Cath Labs) would become operational across the province by December. Five Cath Labs are already functional, while facilities in Bhakkar, Bahawalnagar and Layyah have been directed to start operations at the earliest.

The chief minister sought weekly performance reports on all operational Cath Labs. She also directed officials to further improve the home delivery system for medicines and instructed the Health Department to launch a comprehensive population management campaign to address the province's growing population.

"Without authentic data, no policy can be effective," the chief minister said, adding that healthcare services would now be planned and delivered on the basis of 100 percent verified digital data instead of estimates.

She observed that accurate data would enable authorities to determine the actual number of patients and medicines required in every area, noting that many basic health issues and diseases had never before been systematically documented.

The meeting was also informed that a proposal had been submitted to launch the Maryam Nawaz Sehatmand Gharana Programme, under which citizens would be directly linked with primary healthcare centres, reducing unnecessary visits to hospitals. Patients suffering from diabetes, hypertension, hepatitis, cancer and malnutrition would also be monitored through a digital follow-up system.

Officials further informed the meeting that a modern disaster recovery site would be established to ensure the security and protection of Punjab's digital health database.

The chief minister directed that Phase-II Cath Labs in eight additional districts be completed by the end of July.

Expressing satisfaction over Punjab's anti-polio campaign, Maryam Nawaz welcomed the negative environmental polio samples reported from 19 districts and paid tribute to polio workers for their tireless efforts in protecting children against the disease.

CM grieved over deaths of two sanitation workers

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz expressed profound grief over the deaths of two sanitation workers who lost their lives while cleaning a sewer in Chishtian.

وزیراعلیٰ پنجاب مریم نواز شریف کا چشتیاں میں پیش آنے والے افسوسناک واقعے پر گہرے رنج و غم کا اظہار۔ pic.twitter.com/bzN01AnnAw

— Government of Punjab (@GovtofPunjabPK) July 4, 2026

She extended her heartfelt condolences and sympathies to the bereaved families and directed the relevant authorities to submit a report on the incident.