RAWALPINDI, Oct 20: The Punjab health department has decided to appoint 610 specialist doctors in seven specialities at the Tehsil headquarters hospitals in the province, officials said here on Sunday.

These doctors will be appointed on a special remuneration package of Rs22,000 per month. They will also be permitted to do private practice at their hospitals and will have to give 50 per cent share from their fees to the hospitals.

The officials believe that the arrangement will be mutually beneficial for both the doctors and the hospitals.

The health department has constituted recruitment committees at district level to make the appointments.

These committees comprise the district coordination officer of the district concerned, executive district officer (health), medical superintendent of the District Headquarters Hospital, a specialist doctor of the relevant field and a representative of the health department.

This may be the last of the several measures taken by the outgoing Punjab health minister Prof Dr Mehmood Ahmed Chaudhry, during his two-and-a-half year stay in the office, to improve the health services delivery.

Dr Chaudhry, who is also an eminent surgeon of the country, also got the Basic Health Unit system in the province revitalised and the once deserted centres got full-time doctors. As many as 3,000 BHUs were manned with doctors at a monthly pay of Rs12,000 each.

Besides, he completed the conceptual work for the elevation of the status of the THQ hospitals throughout the province. Funds have already been allocated for this purpose.