LAHORE: The Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) has inaugurated a community-based Mother and Child Healthcare Centre in Raiwind, Lahore, to provide accessible primary healthcare services to around 15,000 residents of nearby localities.
The project has been implemented under the framework of the Year of the Family, declared by the Presidency of the Republic of Türkiye in 2025. It is aimed at strengthening maternal and child healthcare services and improving access to preventive and community-based health facilities for vulnerable families.
The inauguration ceremony was attended by Consul General of the Republic of Türkiye in Lahore Mehmet Eymen Şimşek, TİKA Pakistan Coordinator Saliha Tuna, FACES Pakistan President Javaid William, Pehchaan President Prof Dr Naeem Zafar, along with local leaders and community members.
Speaking on the occasion, Consul General Mehmet Eymen Şimşek appreciated Pakistan’s progress in reducing maternal and newborn mortality in recent years. He said a healthy future could only be built on the well-being of mothers and children. Referring to the longstanding brotherly ties between Türkiye and Pakistan, he said Türkiye, through TİKA, would continue to support development and healthcare initiatives that directly improve people’s lives.
TİKA Pakistan Coordinator Saliha Tuna said the initiative reflected Türkiye’s people-centred approach to development cooperation. Referring to the Year of the Family, she said investment in mothers, children and families was an investment in the future of society.
She added that the centre also demonstrated a sustainable partnership model, with TİKA establishing the facility, FACES Pakistan taking responsibility for its management, and Pehchaan providing healthcare professionals for its operation.
FACES Pakistan President Javaid William thanked TİKA for its support and said the real owners of the project were the people of Raiwind. He said the centre had been designed to respond directly to the healthcare needs of the local community.
Community-based primary healthcare centres serve as the first point of contact between families and the health system, unlike large hospitals that mainly offer specialised treatment. Besides basic medical services, such centres provide maternal and child follow-up, preventive healthcare, health education, counselling, early diagnosis and timely referrals where advanced treatment is required.
The centre has been strategically located to ensure greater accessibility for an underserved catchment area where both Muslim and Christian communities reside. It will help make essential healthcare services available close to home for families who need them most.
The facility also reflects a sustainable approach to development. Inspired by traditional local architecture, it has been designed as a low-cost, environment-friendly and climate-responsive centre, combining local building practices with modern healthcare requirements. Its design offers a practical and replicable model for community healthcare infrastructure in underserved areas.
