The Punjab government has announced a plan to outsource clinical departments in government hospitals to private institutions, in a significant shift in healthcare management.
This move is part of a new pilot project aimed at improving efficiency and service delivery across the province’s public health sector.
The pilot project will initially focus on hospitals in five districts, including Bahawal Victoria Hospital, Dera Ghazi Khan Teaching Hospital, Sheikh Zayed Hospital in Rahim Yar Khan, Sahiwal Teaching Hospital, and Children’s Hospital in Faisalabad.
The Punjab Health Department has begun preparations for this initiative, which will see key departments outsourced to private entities.
The departments slated for privatization include the anaesthesia department, responsible for anaesthetizing patients, as well as emergency wards, blood transfusion services, children's emergency and kidney departments.
By transferring these critical services to private sector management, the Punjab government hopes to enhance the quality of care and streamline operations within these facilities.
According to sources, the decision to outsource these services is driven by the expectation that private institutions may offer more specialized expertise and operational efficiency. The success of this pilot project will determine whether the plan will be extended to other government hospitals in the future.
The Punjab Health Department will closely monitor the outcomes of this initiative to assess its effectiveness and potential for broader implementation.
