IN the wake of the ongoing outsourcing drive in the Health and Population Department of Punjab, thousands of trained paramedics and doctors, mostly having postgraduate degrees in advanced medical specialities, have been forcibly sent on extraordinary leaves across the province. Unfortunately, some among those were performing duties on a contractual basis, and resultantly became jobless in an era of already skyrocketing unemploy-ment numbers.

Many of my medical college classmates, who were previously performing duties at recently outsourced rural health centres (RHCs) and basic health units (BHUs), have stated that the new contractual incumbents at these health facilities lack the experience and know-how about the anti-polio drives that such RHCs and BHUs undertake frequently.

The relevant department really needs to re-appoint these experienced health professionals to save precious lives and to play their role in the fight against polio.

Dr Ahmed Osama Gill
Gujranwala

Published in Dawn, October 25th, 2025