LAHORE: The Punjab government has abolished 2,115 regular posts of general cadre doctors in the Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department (P&SHD) and converted them into locum, or temporary, positions, a move that has triggered strong criticism from the medical community, which has termed it a serious setback to the public healthcare system.
The decision follows the approval of The Punjab Primary and Secondary Healthcare Services (Secondary Level Human Resource) Rules, 2025 by the provincial cabinet in its meeting held on December 15. The rules provide for the hiring of secondary-level human resources on a special pay package. The finance department has also endorsed the move and formally created 2,115 locum posts in place of the abolished regular positions.
The posts affected include various categories of general cadre doctors and consultants posted at district headquarters (DHQs) and tehsil headquarters (THQs) hospitals, which fall under the administrative control of the P&SHD.
According to an official familiar with the matter, the abolished posts had been declared “dying posts” as they had remained vacant for nearly a year. The official said the initiative was part of a broader reform agenda aimed at reducing administrative costs, improving fiscal stability and meeting commitments made by the government to the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Under the IMF programme, the Punjab government has undertaken “rightsizing” measures and identified 2,115 vacant positions in grades 18, 19 and 20 that, according to officials, were adding to expenditure without being utilised. The official also said health authorities believed doctors hired on lump-sum or locum packages would deliver better performance compared to those serving on regular terms.
However, the Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) has strongly condemned the decision. PMA President Prof Dr Shahid Malik said abolishing regular posts in senior grades and converting them into temporary positions amounted to grave injustice to doctors serving in the public sector.
He alleged that the finance department bureaucracy was misleading the government and diverting allocated funds to other budget heads. “Appointing doctors on a locum or daily-wage basis will destroy the entire health system,” he said.
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Prof Malik warned that the move would severely affect career progression, job security and morale of qualified and trained doctors, ultimately impacting patient care. He added that the absence of sanctioned regular posts would also hinder promotions of senior doctors to grades 18, 19 and 20.
“It will weaken the service structure and disrupt the promotion mechanism, which depends on the availability of sanctioned posts,” he said.
The PMA president appealed to the chief justice of the Lahore High Court to take immediate notice of the issue and suspend the notification issued by the finance department. He urged the judiciary to prevent what he described as repeated bureaucratic actions that could undermine the province’s healthcare system.
“Appointing doctors on a locum or daily-wage basis will destroy the entire health system,” the PMA president said.https://t.co/IY1VLOkv6p
— Dawn.com (@dawn_com) January 16, 2026
The decision has intensified concerns among doctors’ bodies, who fear that increased reliance on temporary appointments could lead to instability in public hospitals and long-term deterioration in healthcare delivery across Punjab.
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