Hundreds of Doctors Lose Jobs as Punjab Introduces New Medical Officer Posts

The Punjab government has abolished 1,008 Grade-17 contract posts of Emergency Medical Officers (EMOs) across the province, leaving hundreds of doctors without jobs days before Eid al-Fitr.

The Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department issued the notification on March 14, 2026.

The EMO posts were created in 2018, and doctors were hired on a contract basis through interviews to serve in emergency wards at district and tehsil headquarters hospitals.

They worked in morning, evening, and night shifts with a Rs150,000 monthly pay package and a promised 5% annual increase.

According to officials, most EMOs were appointed in February 2018, while a smaller number joined in June 2018.

Doctors hired in February have now been told that their contracts will not be extended, while those appointed in June will continue working until their agreements expire in June 2026.

Health department officials clarified that the 1,008 EMO posts have been redesignated as Medical Officer and Women Medical Officer positions under the Punjab Primary and Secondary Healthcare Services (Secondary Level Human Resource) Rules, 2025.

The provincial cabinet approved the new rules in December 2025 to introduce a special pay package for hospital staff.

However, the affected EMOs will not be automatically adjusted to the new posts. Instead, they must appear in the Punjab Public Service Commission (PPSC) examinations to secure the newly created positions.