Landmark Digital Agreement to Transform Punjab’s Health Data System
The Punjab Health & Population Department (PH&PD) has signed a historic agreement to create a unified digital health network. The “Trilateral Agreement for Integration of Health Facilities in Punjab” was signed with three key partners. These are the Specialized Healthcare & Medical Education Department (SH&ME), the Local Government & Community Development Department (LG&CD), and the National Database and
Registration Authority (NADRA).
This initiative will digitally connect public health facilities across the province. Its primary goal is to enable real-time notification and registration of births and deaths. The formal signing ceremony took place at the Health & Population Department in Lahore. Senior government officials from all partner organizations attended the event.
How the New Digital System Will Work
The integration will deploy NADRA’s specialized Birth Notification Tool (BNT) and Death Notification Tool (DNT). These tools will feed data directly into Civil Registration & Vital Statistics (CRVS) dashboards. The Local Government departments will be linked to this system for official registration.
Crucially, a secure data-sharing mechanism has been established. This links the Electronic Medical Records (EMR) from hospitals with NADRA’s national identification systems. As a result, accurate data will be available to officials in real time. This move away from manual, delayed reporting is a major technological leap.
The Impact: Better Data for Better Health Outcomes
Provincial Health Minister Khawaja Imran Nazir underscored the agreement’s importance. He stated it will ensure timely, accurate, and real-time registration of vital events at health facilities. Secretary Health Nadia Saqib highlighted the strategic benefit. She explained that reliable data is the foundation for evidence-based policymaking and targeted health interventions.
The initiative directly supports a key goal of the World Bank-funded National Health Support Program (NHSP). It also advances Pakistan’s commitments to Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). All partner departments have committed to close coordination. A successful pilot phase will lead to a province-wide scale-up of the new system.
