A special pay package will be given to the doctors posted at BHUs

Lahore: Advisor to Chief Minister Punjab on Health Kh. Salman Rafique has said that, in order to ensure 100 percent presence of medical officers at Basic Health Units an option to introduce special pay package to the doctors is under consideration. He said that Hard Area Allowance would be given to the doctors posted at BHUs and it would be according to the distance of BHU from the city.

Kh. Salman Rafique further said that approval for this scheme would be ascertained from the Chief Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif.

He said this while addressing a meeting to evolve a strategy for ensuring presence of doctors at BHUs, here at Civil Secretariat today. Besides, Secretary Health Jawad Rafique Malik, DG Health Dr. Amjad Shehzad, Policy & Strategic Planning Unit (PSPU) Director Ali Bahadur Qazi, members Chief Minister’s Health Roadmap Team and the team leader Ms Emma attended the meeting.

The meeting discussed on different options to give special incentives to the medical officers posted at Basic Health Units. Kh. Salman Rafique said that special incentives for the medical officers at BHUs level is essential to motivate them to perform their duties efficiently. He said that far flung districts of Southern Punjab would be given priority. Chief Minister’s Health Roadmap Team informed that a pilot project of this kind is being run in district Jhang and there is need to extend this model to other areas of the province.

Kh. Salman Rafique directed that a working paper, keeping in view the different options should be prepared to provide special pay package to the medical officers at BHUs. He said that there would be different options like monthly special allowance or by-annual honourarium to the doctors or special pay package to the doctors after making clusters of BHUs in different areas. He disclosed that at present a medical officer is getting approximately Rs. 57000 salary which would be enhanced upto Rs. 90 thousand depending on the distance of BHUs from the city. He directed that workable scheme immediately be prepared for the presentation and approval of the Chief Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif.