Latest news with #MaryamNawazHealthClinics
Express Tribune
15-03-2025
- Health
- Express Tribune
BHUs employees protest against privatisation
Just like in the rest of Punjab, the protest against the privatisation policy of the Punjab government continues in Chakwal and Talagang. On the first day of the protest, on Saturday, a large number of Basic Health Units (BHUs) employees gathered in front of the office of the Chakwal Health Department CEO and raised slogans. Later, in the second phase of the protest, they recorded a statement outside the office of the Chakwal Deputy Commissioner. Speaking to media representatives, the employees expressed their frustration, stating that the state is like a mother, but that this mother is trying to take away their livelihood. They claimed that they had worked in these centres for 30 years, places that were once shelters for drug addicts and stray animals. "While Punjab is facing privatisation and our jobs are being taken away, employees in the other three provinces are even receiving advance salaries for Eid," they said. During the protest, female workers were seen crying and pleading with the Chief Minister of Punjab to save them from unemployment. They emphasised that they were not demanding pensions, additional benefits, or salary increments, but only wanted to keep their jobs. They further suggested that if the government wants to establish Maryam Nawaz Health Clinics, it should do so in remote areas where BHU services are unavailable. They pointed out that many villages in Chakwal lack health facilities and the government should set up clinics in those areas to facilitate the public.
Express Tribune
12-03-2025
- Health
- Express Tribune
Punjab mulls outsourcing more health centres
Authorities have decided to outsource the Basic Health Units (BHUs) and Rural Health Centres (RHCs) in all 37 districts of Punjab, including the Rawalpindi district, under the status of Maryam Nawaz Health Clinics (MNHC), retain current regular staff of these centres at other government hospitals, regularise non-regular staff, and terminate the employment of staff working on specific health projects once the projects are completed. A meeting of the Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of all District Health Authorities (DHAs) across the province, chaired by the Secretary of Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department Punjab, decided that the outsourcing process for BHUs and RHCs under each DHA would continue. These centres will be outsourced based on upgraded healthcare facilities and designated as MNHCs. The centres that are being revamped will have their regular staff retained, and they will be deployed at other government hospitals upon the recruitment of new staff. The process of regularising the employment of non-regular staff will continue. Moreover, the employment of those hired for specific health projects will be terminated upon the completion of the respective projects. Dr Asif Arbab Niazi, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Rawalpindi DHA, says that in the first phase, seven BHUs and RHCs in the Rawalpindi district have already been outsourced and designated as MNHCs, while in the second phase, 20 more BHUs will be outsourced and upgraded to the status of MNHCs. Before outsourcing, the building of each BHU and RHC will undergo revamping. After the first and second phases, 27 more centres will be converted into MNHCs, he added. In the third phase, the remaining 71 health centres will undergo revamping, and these, too, will be outsourced and designated as MNHCs. As a result, 98 Maryam Nawaz Health Clinics across the district will provide free and quality healthcare services to the public. The administration managing MNHCs, including the financial and operational systems, will submit their claims for costs to the Punjab government in exchange for providing free healthcare services. Dr Niazi further explained that with the establishment of 98 MNHCs across the district, people will no longer need to visit larger hospitals in the cities for treatment.
