17/10/2026
*Dr. Rizwan Naseer*
*A Legacy of Service and Innovation*
Dr. Rizwan Naseer, Founder Director General of Rescue 1122, Punjab Emergency Service, and Secretary Emergency Services Department, Government of Punjab, has played a defining role in transforming emergency response in Pakistan. In 2004, he initiated Rescue 1122 as a pilot ambulance project in Lahore, introducing a new model of professional pre-hospital emergency care. From this beginning, the service expanded to divisional headquarters and, by 2009, across Punjab, bringing organized emergency response to communities throughout the province. Recognizing that emergencies extend far beyond medical transportation, Dr. Naseer broadened the scope of the service by introducing modern Fire and Rescue Services at divisional and district headquarters, with expansion now progressing towards tehsil level. He subsequently introduced the Rescue Motorbike Ambulance Service, enabling emergency personnel to reach patients rapidly in congested and difficult-to-access areas. The Patient Transfer Service further strengthened the healthcare system by facilitating the transfer of critically and seriously ill patients from government hospitals to tertiary-care facilities. The catastrophic floods of 2010 marked another important chapter in this evolution. Following the floods, water-rescue resources of Civil Defence were transferred to Punjab Emergency Services, providing the foundation for the development of a substantial specialized water-rescue capability. Today, the service operates a large fleet of boats, jet skis and other water-rescue equipment for responding to floods, drowning incidents and other aquatic emergencies. Dr. Naseer's contribution also lies in building the institutions and human capacity required to sustain these services. Through professional training and the development of the Emergency Services Academy, he helped establish emergency response as a specialized profession, while the Pakistan Rescue Team's achievement of international search-and-rescue recognition further strengthened Pakistan's disaster-response capabilities. The Rescue 1122 model and its expertise have also contributed to the development of emergency services in other parts of Pakistan. His work continues to evolve through initiatives focused on telemedicine, deceased care, emergency research and evidence-based emergency care, reflecting an approach that looks beyond immediate response towards the future of emergency management. The significance of Dr. Naseer's contribution lies in the breadth of this transformation: from a single ambulance initiative in Lahore to an integrated emergency-service system encompassing medical response, firefighting, technical and water rescue, patient transfer, disaster management, professional education and research. His career demonstrates how sustained institutional development and innovation can turn an idea into a public service that touches millions of lives. Rescue 1122 is today not simply an emergency number; it represents a national model of organized response, professional rescue and public service, built upon the vision and perseverance of its founder, Dr. Rizwan Naseer.
