Lahore — Punjab’s new Mobility and Rehabilitation Access Act took effect on Tuesday, giving eligible residents free clinical assessments, mobility devices and repairs through public hospitals. By 15:00, the provincial health department’s booking dashboard had logged 8,740 requests, more than three times the first-day total forecast by officials.
The law expands an 18-month pilot that served patients in Lahore, Multan and Faisalabad. It now requires public hospitals across Punjab to offer appointments or refer patients to a nearby centre, with clinical staff deciding which device or therapy is appropriate.
A queue becomes a service
The first-day figure includes 2,160 requests for device repairs and 1,430 for wheelchair assessments; the rest were for fittings, physiotherapy or information about eligibility. Katalin Szőke, a rehabilitation coordinator at Lahore’s fictional Ravi Steps Centre, said staff had extended booking hours and were calling people back in batches.
People have been asking for years where to go; today, they are asking when they can come in.
Katalin Szőke, rehabilitation coordinator
For Charles Michaud, a retired accounts clerk in Lahore, the change means a replacement wheel and a proper fitting for the chair he has used for six years. He had been saving for repairs after the pilot centre’s limited slots filled up. “I thought I would get an appointment next month,” he said. “They gave me Thursday.”
The pilot’s three clinics had registered 18,400 people by August, including patients who needed repairs but could not pay for them. Under the new law, the department expects to add 42 district service points by March. Each will be able to assess mobility needs, arrange basic repairs and refer more complex cases to a hospital clinic.
Money, staff and reach
The provincial budget sets aside 6.8 billion rupees (about €20 million) for the first year, covering devices, maintenance and additional clinic shifts. Ivan Costa, a doctor who advises the programme, said free access could prevent small equipment problems from becoming barriers to work or school, but warned that assessments must come before prescriptions.
The booking system accepts requests online and by telephone, while people without internet access can register at participating hospitals. Staff will prioritise urgent repairs and patients travelling from districts without a service point, the department said. The first mobile fitting team is due to visit southern Punjab next week.
Officials will publish monthly figures for appointments, completed repairs and waiting times, after patients complained during the pilot that they could not tell when their turn would come. The health department expects the first full review in December. For now, its busiest clinics are adding evening appointments, and Michaud is already planning the short trip back on Thursday.
