Get a Free TB Test and Treatment in Punjab: Where to Go

TB testing and treatment are free in Punjab at any government hospital, rural health centre or basic health unit that runs a TB clinic. If a cough has lasted more than two weeks, go to the nearest one and ask for a TB test. For help, call the Provincial TB Control Program on 042-99203798.

A cough that will not go away is easy to ignore. Families buy syrup, then antibiotics, then more syrup. Meanwhile tuberculosis, if that is what it is, keeps spreading inside the house. Punjab carries 60% of Pakistan's TB caseload, according to the province's Directorate General of Health Services. The test that settles the question costs nothing.

We read the Provincial TB Control Program's own pages to find out exactly where the free service sits, and we tried its online tools. One of them did not work, so the steps below rely on what does.

TB tests and treatment cost nothing in Punjab

The Provincial TB Control Program says the government offers free TB diagnosis and treatment, and free treatment for all TB patients, including drug-resistant TB. Punjab has 558 Basic Management Units, 558 microscopy labs and 171 GeneXpert sites.

A Basic Management Unit, or BMU, is a TB clinic inside an existing government health facility. It registers patients, starts treatment and follows them up. The program says its 558 BMUs sit in primary, secondary and tertiary health facilities across the province.

GeneXpert is a fast machine test that finds TB in a sputum sample, the phlegm you cough up. It also shows whether the TB resists rifampicin, the main TB drug. Punjab has 171 GeneXpert sites, plus eight TB culture labs, including the two Provincial Reference Labs in Lahore and Multan.

Six signs mean you should get a TB test

The program lists six symptoms: a cough lasting more than two weeks, fever especially in the evening, night sweats, weight loss without a reason, loss of appetite and chest pain. One or more of these is enough reason to get tested.

• Cough for more than two weeks. This is the main warning sign.
• Low fever, often in the evening.
• Night sweats without a clear cause.
• Weight loss without a change in diet.
• Loss of appetite.
• Chest pain, especially when coughing or breathing deeply.

The program also says people living with a TB patient are at higher risk and should be screened. If one person at home is diagnosed, take the others for a check too, children included.

Getting tested takes five steps

Go to the nearest government hospital, rural health centre or basic health unit, ask for the TB clinic, give a sputum sample, collect the result, and if it is positive, register at the BMU and start free treatment.

1. Go to a government health facility.
2. Ask for the TB clinic. Say you have had a cough for more than two weeks.
3. Give a sputum sample. Cough deeply to bring up phlegm, not spit.
4. Collect the result. If your facility has no GeneXpert, the program says it runs a tehsil-based system to carry samples to one.
5. Start treatment. If the test is positive, you are registered at the BMU and given medicines free.

A private doctor can be part of this too. The program says 6,200 general practitioners and 310 private hospitals take part in its public-private scheme. Ask your doctor if they work with the TB program, so the free medicines reach you.

Drug-resistant TB is treated free at special sites

If your TB does not respond to the usual drugs, the program treats it free at its drug-resistant TB sites. It says most such patients can now take an all-oral, six-month course instead of the old regime of daily injections lasting more than two years.

The program's July 2026 post says there are 27 drug-resistant TB sites in Punjab. Its About Us page says 26. We report both, because the program has not cleared up the difference.

Drug resistance often starts when people stop treatment early. Once the cough fades, many feel cured and stop the tablets. That is how TB comes back harder to treat. Finish the full course your doctor sets, even when you feel well.

The program's online facility finder was empty when we checked

The Provincial TB Control Program's website has a "Find TB Facility" page and a "Contact TB Helpline" page. When we opened both on 1 October 2026, neither listed any facility or number. Use the phone numbers below instead.

• Provincial TB Control Program: 042-99203798, Monday to Friday, 9 am to 5 pm.
• Email: punjabptp@gmail.com, the address the program's own contact page gives.
• Office: 24 Cooper Road, Lahore.
• Punjab health helpline: 1033, listed by the Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department.

TB care is only one of the free services in the province. Punjab runs six free health programmes that most people never hear about. A hospital stay for TB complications may also fall under the health card, which now pays half for most treatments. And a TB certificate for a visa, such as the one in the UK student visa process, is a separate test at an approved clinic, not part of this free program.

Common questions

Is a TB test really free in Punjab?

Yes. The Provincial TB Control Program says diagnosis and treatment are free at its facilities, including drug-resistant TB care.

Where is the nearest TB clinic?

Punjab has 558 Basic Management Units inside government health facilities. Call 042-99203798 or 1033 to find the one near you.

How long does TB treatment take?

It lasts months, not days. Your doctor sets the course. Drug-resistant TB now often takes six months of tablets.

Can my private doctor give free TB medicine?

Only if they are part of the program's public-private scheme, which includes 6,200 general practitioners. Ask them.

Should my family be tested if I have TB?

Yes. The program says household contacts are at higher risk and need screening.

Is TB curable?

Yes, with a full course of treatment. Stopping early is what makes it hard to cure.

How we verified this

What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.

Last checked at 9:00 pm PKT on 1 October 2026. We read the Provincial TB Control Program's About Us page, its home page symptom list, its TB Information page, its contact page and its July 2026 post on drug-resistant TB. We read the TB Control Program page of the Directorate General of Health Services Punjab for the 60% caseload figure. We opened the Find TB Facility and Contact TB Helpline pages; both were empty. The two program pages give 26 and 27 drug-resistant TB sites. An older Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department page gives 168 GeneXpert sites; we used the program's current figure of 171. We did not visit a clinic, so waiting times are not known to us.