LAHORE: Scores of young doctors, nurses and paramedics on Tuesday lodged a protest under the banner of the Grand Health Alliance against the government’s decision of outsourcing the Basic Health Units, Rural Health Centres of Punjab.

They took out the rallies in various parts of Lahore and other cities of the province and then reached on The Mall in front of Punjab Assembly.

The protesters chanted slogans against the Punjab government and health authorities.

Most of them were workers of Integrated Reproductive Maternal Newborn, Child Health & Nutrition Programme (IRMNCH).

They blocked the traffic on The Mall and then marched towards the Punjab Primary Health department to record their protests.

The representatives of the Grand Health Alliance blamed the health authorities for misleading the government which decided to outsource the health facilities.

They alleged that the government wanted to deprive them of their jobs.

They said that many of the protesters had been associated with the department for the last 15 years.

They just wanted their jobs to be regularised.

A banner carried by the women protesters read, “Outsourcing of BHUs and RHUs by the Punjab government is not acceptable.”

There were reports that the protesters dispersed peacefully after holding negotiations with the health department officials.

Published in Dawn, March 26th, 2025