The Punjab government has decided to recruit medical experts on a temporary basis to overcome the shortage of medical staff in the province.
For this purpose, the “Punjab Locum Hiring Act 2025” has been approved by the Punjab Assembly. The bill was presented in the provincial assembly session yesterday and was passed by a majority vote.
According to the bill, a Locum Policy Committee will be formed to identify shortages in the health sector and formulate the terms of reference (TORs) for temporary recruitments.
The committee will be headed by the Provincial Minister for Specialized Healthcare, while the Secretary of Specialized Healthcare will serve as the Vice Chairperson. Representatives from Human Resources and three experts from different fields will also be part of the committee.
According to the text of the bill, the committee will determine the duration of employment, salaries, benefits, and termination clauses. The recruitments will be made transparently, and advertisements in at least two newspapers will be mandatory before hiring. The advertisements will clearly mention the complete recruitment process.
The bill also states that individuals recruited on a temporary basis will not be entitled to demand permanent employment in the future and will not receive the same benefits as regular health department employees. The authority to extend or terminate temporary appointments will rest with the policy committee.
According to the bill, the purpose of this law is to immediately address the shortage of staff in the health sector to ensure better medical facilities for the public in hospitals across the province.
