Citizens applying for a driving licence will now be able to obtain medical fitness certificates free of charge from government hospitals in Lahore.
According to the Lahore Chief Traffic Officer (CTO), the facility has been introduced in line with the vision of Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif. Counters have been established at 13 government hospitals across the city to issue free medical fitness certificates for driving licence applicants.
The hospitals offering the facility include DHQ Mian Mir Hospital, DHQ Mozang, General Hospital Ghaziabad, Tehsil Headquarters Hospital Sabzazar, Government Hospital Samanabad, Government General Hospital Qila Gujar Singh, Government General Hospital Shahdara, Tehsil Headquarters Hospital Bilal Ganj, Government Hospital Sodiwal, Tehsil Headquarters Hospital Kahna, Tehsil Headquarters Hospital Raiwind, and Government Eye and General Hospital Swami Nagar, Shalimar.
According to the Lahore CTO, a medical fitness certificate is mandatory for applicants seeking a commercial driving licence as well as individuals over the age of 50.
Authorities are also working to introduce a digital system to prevent the use of fake medical certificates. A proposal has been made to link the Driving Licence Management System (DLIMS) with the Health Department’s online system.
The Lahore CTO said that medical fitness certificates uploaded directly to the Health Department’s portal would help eliminate fraudulent certificates. Real-time data sharing between the traffic police and the Health Department would also make the verification process more effective.
Syed Abdul Rahim Shirazi said online medical verification would improve transparency, accountability and public trust. The initiative is aimed at reducing opportunities for corruption while providing citizens with more convenient and modern public services.