The Punjab government has decided to outsource its flagship Clinics on Wheels project, marking a major shift in how mobile healthcare services will be managed across the province. The Health Department has formally initiated the process to transfer the project’s administrative and operational control to the private sector.

Under the new plan, private operators will take over the management of mobile health units as well as rural ambulance services. The move is aimed at improving efficiency, service quality, and wider outreach, especially in underserved and remote areas of Punjab.

The Punjab Health Department has invited applications from interested private entities, with a submission deadline of 26 January. As part of the outsourcing initiative, a total of 791 Clinics on Wheels units and 590 rural ambulances will be handed over to private management through structured public-private partnerships.

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Provincial Minister for Health and Population, Khawaja Imran Nazir, said the decision reflects the government’s commitment to strengthening the healthcare system. He emphasized that outsourcing will help ensure better service delivery and allow medical facilities to reach people directly at their doorsteps, particularly in rural regions where access to hospitals remains limited.

The Clinics on Wheels project was inaugurated in May last year by Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif. Currently, around 200 mobile clinics are operating across the province, providing basic healthcare services to nearly 4 million people.

In addition to mobile healthcare reforms, the chief minister has also announced plans to establish state-of-the-art cardiology facilities in eight Punjab cities, including Mianwali, Gujranwala, Sialkot, Jhelum, Sahiwal, Murree, and Layyah, further highlighting the government’s focus on expanding healthcare access.