Punjab to Hire Doctors on Lump-Sum Pay PackagesPakistan

According to sources, the initiative is expected to speed up the recruitment of healthcare professionals compared with the conventional process of filling permanent government positions.

The flexible hiring arrangement will also allow hospitals to recruit staff for specific periods or as needed, providing greater flexibility in administrative and financial matters.

The government believes this arrangement will make staff recruitment easier and help hospitals manage their administrative and financial needs more effectively, the report said.

Teaching hospitals in Punjab handle large numbers of patients every day, and shortages of doctors and support staff have long been cited as a strain on services. The new arrangement is aimed at letting hospitals fill gaps more quickly instead of waiting for the lengthy process of permanent appointments.

Under the lump-sum model, hospitals would be able to decide for themselves which posts they need to fill and for how long, rather than relying solely on centralised recruitment rounds. The approach is intended to match staffing more closely to the demands of each hospital.

The report did not give the number of posts to be filled, the pay scales on offer, or a date from which the hiring would begin. It also did not say whether the arrangement would apply to all teaching hospitals in the province or be introduced in phases.

Staff shortages in public hospitals have been a recurring concern in Punjab, where teaching hospitals serve as referral centres for patients from across the province. The government has in the past announced various measures to strengthen staffing, including ad hoc appointments and contract hiring.

The latest decision will be watched for how quickly hospitals are able to use the new hiring powers and whether the lump-sum packages attract the doctors and medical staff the hospitals need.