Get Free Diabetes Care in Punjab: NCD Clinics and the CM Insulin Card
Free diabetes care in Punjab: NCD clinics at 26 DHQ and 104 THQ hospitals test and follow up patients. What the CM Insulin Card offers and Sehat Card limits.
Punjab runs free diabetes screening and follow-up through NCD clinics at 26 district (DHQ) hospitals and 104 tehsil (THQ) hospitals, covering all 36 districts. Children with type 1 diabetes can get free insulin at home through the CM Insulin Card, which launch reports date to May 2025. For directions, call the Punjab health helpline on 1033.
Diabetes is a disease you manage for life, and insulin, strips and check-ups add up every month. Many families know the Sehat Card but not the other free health programmes in Punjab, including dedicated clinics for diabetes. We read the Punjab NCD programme's own website on 2 October 2026. NCD stands for non-communicable diseases: illnesses that do not spread from person to person, such as diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure.
Punjab's NCD clinics screen and treat diabetes in every district
Punjab's Prevention and Control of NCDs programme runs screening desks and NCD clinics at 26 DHQ and 104 THQ hospitals. They check blood sugar and blood pressure, confirm the diagnosis with lab tests, register patients and follow them up on a schedule.
The programme's FAQ page says the Punjab government has funded it from public money since 2016-17. It works under the Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department, with technical help from the World Health Organization and the Punjab Public Health Agency. Its office is at the Director General Health Services building, 24 Cooper Road, Lahore.
The programme says people aged 30 to 69 are most at risk, with 40 as the average age when these diseases start. So if you are over 30 and have never had your sugar checked, a screening desk is a sensible first stop.
How to get free diabetes care at a government hospital
Go to the NCD screening desk at your DHQ or THQ hospital. Get your sugar checked. If it is high, the doctor confirms it with an HbA1c test, registers you and gives a follow-up date. Take your CNIC and any old reports.
- Find your nearest DHQ or THQ hospital. Call 1033 if you are not sure which one has the NCD clinic.
- Visit the screening desk in OPD hours. Ask for the NCD or diabetes clinic at the registration counter.
- Get tested. The programme's protocol confirms diabetes with lab tests such as HbA1c, which shows your average sugar over about three months.
- Register and keep your follow-up date. The programme registers confirmed patients and follows them up on a schedule.
- Ask about medicines. The programme says basic NCD medicines should be available at every level of care. Ask the clinic what it can give you free that day.
One honest caveat. The programme describes a target, that basic medicines "must be available", not a guarantee for each patient. Stock can run short. If a clinic has no insulin that day, ask when it is expected rather than buying from the first shop outside.
The CM Insulin Card gives children with type 1 diabetes free insulin at home
Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz launched the CM Insulin Card for children with type 1 diabetes in May 2025, according to launch reports. They said the first phase covered 1,500 children, with insulin delivered to homes by Pakistan Post riders using a cold chain.
Type 1 diabetes is the kind where the body makes no insulin at all, so the child needs insulin every day for life. The launch reports said the Chief Minister handed families insulin, glucometers, test strips and needles. Children are also reported to need follow-up visits at selected DHQ hospitals every three months.
We have to be clear about what we could check. The Punjab health department's websites do not carry the programme's rules, eligibility or registration form that we could find. So the delivery details above are as reported at the launch, not read on an official page. Reports say families can register at an NCD clinic, a Maryam Nawaz Health Clinic or through the 1033 helpline. Call 1033 first and ask how to enrol.
The Health and Population Department's app store does list an app called "Insuline For All", with over 22,000 downloads. Its page gives no description, so we cannot tell you what it does.
The Sehat Card does not pay for insulin at home
The Sehat Card covers treatment when you are admitted to hospital. Punjab's health company says medicines and lab tests are covered only if you are admitted. So monthly insulin, strips and routine clinic visits are not paid by the card.
The card still matters for diabetes. If you are admitted for a complication, such as a foot infection or very high sugar, the card can pay for that stay. Read what the Sehat Card covers now before you rely on it.
| What you need | Where to get it free in Punjab | Read at source? |
|---|---|---|
| Sugar test and diagnosis | NCD screening desk at a DHQ or THQ hospital | Yes, NCD programme site |
| Regular follow-up | NCD clinic, on the schedule it gives you | Yes, NCD programme site |
| Insulin for a child with type 1 diabetes | CM Insulin Card, home delivery | No, reported only |
| Hospital stay for a complication | Sehat Card at an empanelled hospital | Yes, PHIMC FAQ |
| Directions and advice | Punjab health helpline 1033 | Yes, health department site |
Check your insulin is genuine before you use it
If you buy insulin, buy it from a licensed pharmacy that keeps it in a fridge. Check the brand is registered with DRAP. Insulin left warm for long can stop working, so never buy it from a shelf in the sun.
DRAP, the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan, keeps a public record of registered medicines. You can check a medicine's DRAP registration by brand name. If a pharmacy sells you insulin that is not stored cold, do not take it, and report the shop by calling 1033.
Common questions
Is diabetes treatment free in Punjab government hospitals?
Screening, diagnosis and follow-up are offered at NCD clinics in 26 DHQ and 104 THQ hospitals. The programme aims to give basic medicines free, but stock can vary by clinic.
Who can get the CM Insulin Card?
It was launched for children with type 1 diabetes in Punjab. The detailed eligibility rules are not published on the health department's website, so call 1033 to check.
Does the Sehat Card cover insulin?
Not for use at home. The card covers medicines only when you are admitted to hospital, according to Punjab's health company.
What is the Punjab health helpline number?
1033. The Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department lists it as its health helpline.
What is an NCD clinic?
A government clinic for long-term diseases that do not spread between people, such as diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure. Punjab has them in all 36 districts.
What test confirms diabetes?
The NCD programme confirms it with lab tests such as HbA1c, which measures your average blood sugar over the past few months.
How we verified this
What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.
Last checked on 2 October 2026. We read the home, FAQ, control of NCDs and contact pages of the Punjab Prevention and Control of NCDs programme on ncd.punjab.gov.pk; the Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department homepage for the 1033 helpline; the department's app listing for "Insuline For All"; and PHIMC's Sehat Card FAQ on phimc.punjab.gov.pk. The CM Insulin Card details (May 2025 launch, 1,500 children, Pakistan Post delivery, items handed over, quarterly DHQ follow-up, registration routes) are reported only: we could not find them on a health department page. We did not visit a clinic or call 1033.
About the author
Public Services and Education Journalist
Fajr Riaz is a journalist and content writer at Pakistan Era, based in Lahore. She covers the questions people meet in everyday life in Pakistan: how a public service works, what a change in the rules means, and where to find a reliable answer.
