RAWALPINDI: After outsourcing 27 Basic Health Units (BHUs), the Punjab government is set to hand over 10 Rural Health Centres (RHCs) to the private sector in Rawalpindi district starting July 1 in a move aimed at “improving efficiency and service quality.”

There are a total of 98 BHUs in the district, of which 27 have already been outsourced in the current fiscal year. The process to outsource 10 RHCs is now underway.

These RHCs are located in Khayaban-i-Sir Syed, Bagga Sheikhan, and Chauntra in Rawalpindi tehsil; Kauntarila, Qazian, Daultala and Lehtrar in Kotli Sattian tehsil; Paghwari in Murree, and Thoha Khalsa in Kahuta tehsil.

A BHU typically serves a population of up to 25,000, offering basic medical and surgical care along with preventive, maternal and child healthcare services. An RHC, equipped with 10-20 inpatient beds, dental care and ambulance services, caters to a catchment population of up to 100,000.

“The process has begun and RHCs will be outsourced by July 1 in Rawalpindi district,” said District Health Authority Chief Executive Officer Dr Asif Arbab Niazi while speaking to Dawn.

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He said general surgeons, gynecologists and anesthetists had been selected to lead the RHCs. These centres will be upgraded to the status of hospitals, providing healthcare services closer to residents and reducing the patient load on major hospitals.

“The District Health Authority will also monitor whether patients are receiving proper care and reports will be submitted on a weekly and monthly basis,” he added.

In response to a question about the 27 outsourced BHUs, he stated that people were receiving medical treatment there and no complaints had been received so far. He said data was being compiled on the number of patients treated and a survey will be conducted to assess patient satisfaction.

He added that the number of visitors at outsourced BHUs had tripled, as more people preferred to enroll expectant mothers at their local BHUs. “The data on delivery cases is verified through patients’ Computerised National Identity Cards (CNICs), which are recorded in specialised software and cross-verified by a departmental team,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Young Doctors Association has voiced concerns over the outsourcing of BHUs and RHCs as well as plans to outsource departments in government-run hospitals. It claims that doctors appointed on an ad hoc basis at these facilities are likely to lose their jobs.

Published in Dawn, June 16th, 2025