Govt moves to recruit doctors on contract during strike

The Punjab health department has hired 450 doctors on a temporary (locum) basis to work in the province’s public teaching hospitals, including those in Lahore, to address staff shortages and maintain healthcare services during the Young Doctors Association (YDA) strike.

This decision came in response to a strike call by the Young Doctors Association (YDA) over the government’s plan to outsource public healthcare facilities. To ensure uninterrupted patient care in outpatient departments (OPDs) and indoor wards, the Punjab government authorized the University of Health Sciences (UHS) Lahore to hire locum physicians.

Under this initiative, medical officers and women medical officers will receive Rs 8,000 per shift, while consultants and senior registrars (SRs) will be paid Rs 10,000 for an eight-hour shift. In just one week, UHS registered 4,500 physicians, including medical officers and consultants. This overwhelming response highlights the high unemployment rate among qualified physicians in Punjab.

The locum appointments are temporary and do not guarantee permanent jobs. Initially, the hiring period is set for one month, but it could be extended if needed. Physicians selected for this program are required to log their attendance digitally, and medical superintendents will verify their presence during shifts. Payments will be directly deposited into their bank accounts through UHS.

Officials noted that similar locum hiring strategies are commonly used worldwide, particularly in countries like the United States, the United Kingdom, and Gulf states, to fill staffing gaps in healthcare systems.