PESHAWAR: Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Muhammad Sohail Afridi inaugurated the Rs2.6 billion ‘Ehsaas-e-Bezaban Sehat Gaari’ programme, a major initiative aimed at strengthening livestock health, improving the livelihoods of livestock farmers and supporting the resilience of the rural economy.

According to a briefing given by the livestock department to the chief minister, the programme includes 145 mobile veterinary clinics and 27 mobile laboratory testing units, along with the deployment of 202 veterinary doctors and assistants.

The mobile clinics will provide vaccination, diagnostic, treatment and emergency veterinary services at the tehsil level, improving access to essential animal healthcare for livestock farmers in remote areas.

The briefing further stated that the mobile veterinary network would be integrated with a central digital dashboard to strengthen service monitoring, oversight and operational management.

“Mobile milk-quality testing laboratories will also support systematic monitoring of milk quality and provide on-site testing facilities for the detection of adulteration and harmful contaminants,” the statement read.

Speaking at the inauguration, Chief Minister Muhammad Sohail Afridi said that “Ehsaas-e-Bezaban Sehat Gaari” was not merely a mobile veterinary service but represented the government’s commitment, responsibility and vision for the welfare of livestock and the communities that depend on them.

He stated that no farmer should be deprived of quality veterinary services because of geographical distance or location.

The chief minister stressed the need for protecting livestock from diseases, adding that the programme was designed not only to provide treatment but also to strengthen disease prevention and improve livestock productivity.

Mr Afridi said livestock represented an important source of income, nutrition and financial security for millions of families across the province, adding that modern, quality and timely veterinary services were being brought closer to livestock farmers so they would no longer have to travel long distances for treatment and care of their animals.

He added that the livestock sector was being modernised to create better income opportunities for farming families and the mobile milk-quality testing laboratories would play an important role in strengthening milk quality monitoring and facilitating the timely detection of adulteration and harmful contaminants.

“Healthy livestock will contribute to higher productivity and increased incomes for farming families,” the chief minister said, adding “our objective is a Khyber Pakhtunkhwa where farmers are prosperous, the rural economy is strong, livestock is healthy and people have access to safe and quality food.”

Published in Dawn, October 2nd, 2026