LAHORE: The Punjab government has notified the Punjab population welfare department’s merger into the primary and secondary healthcare department, creating a new unified department titled ‘Punjab health and population department’.

Same arrangement has also been notified for both the departments in south Punjab.

The newly-created department will have four attached departments headed by director generals of Health Services, Drug Control, Population Welfare and Director Training/ Research and Production.

The department will also serve as a supervisory body of two autonomous bodies – District Health Authorities (DHAs) and Provincial Quality Control Board (PQCB) -- as well as two public sector companies – Punjab Health Facilities Management Company and Punjab Population Innovation Fund.

New department will also oversee DHAs, PQCB

The South Punjab health and population department, will have the office of director general Health Services, South Punjab, and DG Nursing, South Punjab; as well as autonomous DHAs in Multan, Bahawalpur and Dera Ghazi Khan divisions.

The notification explains that the new department will supervise health management, planning and policy, including prevention and control of diseases – dengue, polio and vaccination for preventable diseases, infectious diseases, special campaigns, besides maternal, newborn and child health services.

In the medical profession, the department will look after the indigenous system of medicines and treatment of government employees, general public and prisoners.

The department will also control medicinal drugs, poisons and dangerous drugs (Drugs Act 1976 and rules made thereunder). It will also be responsible for the administration of drugs courts, Pakistan Drugs Testing and Research Centre; collection, compilation, registration and analysis of vital health statistics and estimation of population for future projections.

It will supervise the matters related to companies and autonomous bodies; district health services; nursing – administrative control of nursing cadre in the province in respect of those working under the department or in the non-teaching hospitals.

It will prepare development schemes, budgets, Schedule of New Expenditure (SNE) and Annual Development Programme (ADP) proposals. It will supervise emergency services in healthcare; matters relating to narcotics control and ancillary matters. The notification also explains the matters relating to DHAs; Directorate of Drugs Control.

The new department will also deal with matters relating to the population welfare, including budget, accounts, and audit matters; administration of relevant laws.

The notification also explains the functions of the unified health and population department in south Punjab, including service matters, human resource management (HRM), budget, accounts and audit matters; procurement of goods and services under relevant laws and rules; administration and management of attached departments, autonomous bodies and companies.

Published in Dawn, March 21st, 2025