Punjab starts hiring doctors amid YDA strike

LAHORE: With young doctors on strike across Punjab, the provincial government has moved quickly to fill the gap by hiring doctors on a temporary or ‘locum’ basis.

According to the Punjab health department, 450 doctors have been issued appointment letters to serve in emergency situations at public teaching hospitals across the province, including those in Lahore.

The move comes after the Young Doctors Association (YDA) announced a strike in protest against the government’s plan to outsource public healthcare facilities. In response, the Punjab government authorised the University of Health Sciences (UHS) Lahore to begin hiring locum doctors to ensure uninterrupted patient care in OPDs and indoor wards.

Under this scheme, consultants and senior registrars (SRs) will be paid Rs10,000 per eight-hour shift, while medical officers and women medical officers will receive Rs8,000 per shift.

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UHS has so far registered 4,500 doctors, including both consultants and medical officers, in just one week. The registration response, according to insiders, highlights the large number of unemployed but qualified doctors in Punjab.

The government made it clear that the locum appointments are temporary and carry no promise of permanent employment. The hiring is initially for one month, but it could be extended if necessary.

Doctors selected for the scheme are expected to mark attendance using a digital system, and their presence during shifts will be certified by medical superintendents. Payments will be made directly to their bank accounts through UHS.

Officials said similar locum hiring practices are followed globally, especially in countries like the UK, USA, and Gulf states, to address staff shortages in healthcare systems.