SAHIWAL: The Rescue 1122 has launched a free ambulance service to shift dead bodies from two hospitals – one each in Chichawatini and Sahiwal – to the houses of the deceased patients, free of cost.

Under the service, dead bodies will be shifted to the deceased persons’ houses from Sahiwal Teaching Hospital (STH) and Chichawatni Tehsil Headquarters (THQ) Hospital.

The launching event of the service was held at the Sahiwal Medical College (SMC), attended by Principal Prof Dr Akhter, Deputy Commissioner (DC) Sami Ullah Farooq, District Emergency Officer (DEO) Dr Khalid Abdullah and STH Medical Superintendent (MS) Dr Fasil Waheed.

Currently, two ambulances have been dedicated to this service.

Dr Abdullah explains that the ambulances will remain stationed at the two hospitals and can be booked free of cost by calling the Rescue 1122 around the clock.

He says that Rescue 1122 has already introduced this service in the major cities of Punjab, including Lahore, Rawalpindi, Multan, Faisalabad, and Bahawalpur, and has now extended it to Sahiwal district. He adds that the service will gradually be expanded to the remaining districts of Punjab.

Rescue 1122 media coordinator says that within the last 24 hours, six bodies have been transported to the homes of the deceased persons from the two hospitals under this service.

The DC says the Punjab government aims to ensure the timely and dignified transfer of bodies to their ancestral places. He adds that the number of ambulances will be increased in the coming days.

Published in Dawn, June 25th, 2026