RAWALPINDI:
Due to a severe financial and economic crisis and a significant shortage of funds in the province, the Punjab Health Department, after abolishing all 30,000 vacant posts from BS 1 to BS 18, has approved the sale of 90 Basic Health Units (BHUs) and Rural Health Centres (RHCs) in the Rawalpindi Division under a cost-saving project.
Additionally, a decision has been made to transfer 1,000 BHUs across Punjab to the private sector. These include 971 centres that operate 24 hours a day and 11 that operate for six hours. The government will pay Rs893,000 monthly to manage these centres.
In the second phase, starting from July 1, 2025, all permanent employees of BHUs and RHCs will be dismissed from service, while daily wage and contract employees will also be terminated immediately upon transferring to the private sector.
Employees at these BHUs and RHCs in Rawalpindi, Chakwal, Attock, and Jehlum have protested against this decision, staging strikes and holding large rallies in protest on Thursday.
The affected BHUs include 17 from Attock, 80 from Bahawalnagar, 48 from Bahawalpur, 21 from Bhakkar, 22 from Chakwal, seven from Chiniot, 22 from Dera Ghazi Khan, 28 from Faisalabad, 25 from Gujranwala, 16 from Gujrat, 8 from Hafizabad, 14 from Jehlum, 17 from Jhang, 20 from Kasur, 59 from Khushab, five from Lahore, 24 from Layyah, 29 from Lodhran, 14 from Mandi Bahauddin, 15 from Mianwali, 53 from Multan, 56 from Muzaffargarh, 16 from Nankana Sahib, 18 from Narowal, 31 from Okara, 17 from Pakpattan, 74 from Rahim Yar Khan, 16 from Rajanpur, 20 from Rawalpindi, 16 from Sahiwal, 35 from Sargodha, 26 from Sheikhupura, 19 from Sialkot, 24 from Toba Tek Singh, and 52 from Vehari.
Health employees have formed action committees and announced plans for a large-scale protest after Eidul Fitr. Union leaders representing health employees have stated that in the first phase, the government will transfer all BHUs to the private sector and provide financial assistance for three months. After that, the financial aid will be abruptly cut off, leaving employees at the mercy of private owners.
This move will result in the termination of 200,000 employees by December 31, 2025. To protest this decision, the union leaders have reached out to the All Pakistan Clerks Association (Punjab) and AGIGA for massive protests after Eid.
The decision to privatise the BHUs and RHCs has sparked widespread concern and opposition across the province. Health workers fear that the privatization of these centres will lead to job insecurity, and the termination of thousands of employees will create a ripple effect on healthcare services, leaving many without stable employment or adequate healthcare.
With union leaders calling for protests after Eidul Fitr, the situation is expected to escalate, as workers demand the reversal of these decisions and the protection of their jobs. The government’s move has ignited debates on the long-term impact on public health infrastructure, as many believe this will further weaken the already strained healthcare system, especially in rural areas.
