LAHORE: The Young Doctors Association Punjab has expanded the scope of agitation from Lahore to across the province in a bid to make the government review its decision of outsourcing public sector hospitals.

The YDA, on Thursday, showed it’s power when the Punjab and Lahore chapters of the Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) came to the support of the young medics, nurses and paramedics.

The PMA claimed that the outsourcing of government-run hospitals, including teaching institutes of Lahore, raised an alarm for government servants as they were under serious threat of losing their present positions.

According to YDA, medics held protests in various parts of Punjab on Thursday.

YDA leaders and activists from south Punjab reached Lahore on Thursday under the command of its Multan chapter president Dr Nadeem Qaisrani to join the sit-in outside the Punjab Assembly building.

The YDA also took out rallies from the various public sector teaching hospitals of Lahore and marched towards the Punjab Assembly. They announced to go on strike at the OPDs of more than 300 hospitals in Punjab.

The YDA threatened agitation if the government took any action against their fellows for lodging protest as it was fundamental right of every citizen to raise voice for legitimate problems.

The lady health workers warned that they would also boycott polio campaign if their demands were not accepted.

The Punjab government has taken the decision to outsource rural and other health facilities of the province to bring improvement to the healthcare system and to strengthen the accountability mechanism.

The government believes that most of the doctors and other employees prefer to be posted in teaching hospitals of major cities of the province, leaving DHQs, THQs, RHCs and BHUs in poor state for want of required staff.

Published in Dawn, April 11th, 2025