The Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department (P&SHD) is the provincial government body responsible for running basic health services in Pakistan. It is not a federal ministry. In Punjab, it manages the vast network of Basic Health Units (BHUs), Rural Health Centres (RHCs), Tehsil Headquarters (THQ) hospitals and District Headquarters (DHQ) hospitals that serve the majority of the population . If you are looking for a government health facility, a job in the health sector, or a tender notice, this is the department that controls it.
What Does the P&SHD Do?
The department’s core job is to deliver a “basic package of quality essential health care services” to the public . In practice, this means it is responsible for:
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Running health facilities: BHUs (serving up to 25,000 people), RHCs (serving up to 100,000), THQ hospitals (serving 0.5–1 million) and DHQ hospitals (serving 1–3 million) .
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Public health programmes: Immunisation, malaria control, maternal and child health, and sanitation outreach .
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Managing health staff: Doctors, nurses, and support staff in these facilities.
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Procurement and tenders: Buying medicines, equipment, and services for government hospitals .
Provincial Differences: It Is Not One Department
One of the most common misunderstandings is that P&SHD is a single national department. It is not.
Punjab: The P&SHD is based in Lahore at Bird Wood Road . In 2021, South Punjab was given its own P&SHD secretariat in Multan, covering 11 districts including Bahawalpur, Multan and D.G. Khan . This means there are two secretariats in Punjab: one for the rest of the province, and one for South Punjab.
Balochistan: The provincial health department was divided into two in 2021: the P&SHD and the Specialized Healthcare and Medical Education Department . The P&SHD handles primary and secondary care, while the other handles tertiary care and teaching hospitals.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: KP has its own Department of Health, which has developed its own fixed asset management guidelines for primary and secondary healthcare facilities .
How to Find Notifications and Orders
The P&SHD issues official notifications, orders, and circulars that affect health staff, patients and contractors. These are published on the department’s official website.
For Punjab: Go to pshealthpunjab.gov.pk. The site has an “Orders” section where official notifications are uploaded as PDFs. These cover disciplinary actions, transfers, policy changes and service matters .
For South Punjab: Go to pshdsouthpunjab.gov.pk. The site lists the latest notifications for the South Punjab districts, including instructions on health facility monitoring and clarifications on government charges for ultrasound and pathology tests .
What you will find: Recent examples from the South Punjab site include a notice about the sale of surplus vehicles by public auction, and instructions linking health sector reforms allowance to the performance of doctors and staff . These are the kinds of official orders the department issues regularly.
How to Find Tenders
The P&SHD and its hospitals regularly invite bids for supplies, services and contracts. These are published on the Punjab Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) website and on tender aggregator sites.
Recent examples show the range of what is procured:
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THQ Hospital Naushera Khushab advertised a framework contract for medicines, surgical and disposable items for 2026-27, with a total estimated budget of PKR 25.86 million. The tender was divided into ten packages, and bidders needed a valid drug sale licence and a 2% bid security .
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THQ Hospital Chichawatni published tenders for parking services, medical gases and a canteen auction .
Where to look: Check the PPRA Punjab website, the hospital’s own notice board, or aggregator sites like PakistanTender. Always confirm details against the original official notice, because aggregator sites carry a disclaimer that they are not the official source .
How to Find Jobs
The P&SHD is a major employer. Job openings are advertised through the National Testing Service (NTS) and the National Employment Exchange Tool (jobs.gov.pk).
Recent examples include an NTS advertisement for the P&SHD Punjab for a project called “Restarting Bio-Metric Attendance System & Queue Management System” . The department is also listed as a verified employer on the federal jobs portal .
Where to look: Check nts.org.pk for testing service advertisements, and jobs.gov.pk for the department’s verified employer profile. The official P&SHD website also posts career opportunities.
Common Misconceptions
“P&SHD is a federal department.” No. It is a provincial department. Each province has its own. There is no single federal P&SHD running health services across Pakistan.
“The P&SHD runs all government hospitals.” No. In Punjab, the P&SHD runs primary and secondary care facilities (BHUs, RHCs, THQs, DHQs). Tertiary care hospitals (teaching hospitals) are managed by the Specialized Healthcare and Medical Education Department . This split also exists in Balochistan .
“You can apply for a health job through the P&SHD website directly.” Sometimes, but many recruitments are outsourced to testing agencies like NTS. Check both the official website and the testing service sites.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department?
It is a provincial government department responsible for delivering basic health services through BHUs, RHCs, THQ and DHQ hospitals. In Punjab, it is split into a main secretariat in Lahore and a South Punjab secretariat in Multan .
Where is the P&SHD office in Punjab?
The main office is at Bird Wood Road, Lahore. The phone number is 042-99205826 . The South Punjab office is in Civil Secretariat, Multan .
How do I find P&SHD notifications and orders?
Visit pshealthpunjab.gov.pk for the main Punjab department, or pshdsouthpunjab.gov.pk for South Punjab. Both sites have sections for official orders and notifications .
How do I find P&SHD tenders?
Check the PPRA Punjab website, the relevant hospital’s notice board, or tender aggregator sites. Recent tenders have covered medicines, surgical items, parking services and medical gases .
How do I find P&SHD jobs?
Check nts.org.pk for testing service advertisements and jobs.gov.pk for the department’s verified profile. The official P&SHD website also posts some career opportunities .
