JI rejects proposed outsourcing of healthcare services

LAHORE: JI Emir Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman on Sunday rejected the Punjab government's decision to privatise rural health centres (RHCs), basic health units (BHUs), and hospitals across the province.

Addressing a joint press conference with doctors at Mansoora, the JI leader announced his party’s full support for the demands put forth by the Grand Health Alliance (GHA). Criticising the government's move to outsource healthcare facilities, he warned that such a decision would lead to a contractor raj. He said the outsourcing initiative was a veiled attempt to reward political favourites rather than reform the health sector. ‘The Sharif family’s quest for unchecked power continues. After playing kings, they now wish to crown themselves as queens,’ he said, adding that previous privatisation experiments, such as outsourcing schools in Punjab, had failed miserably. Flanked by GHA leaders, Hafiz Naeem declared that JI would not allow the Punjab government to ambush the healthcare sector. He demanded the government focus on addressing the people’s issues. ‘First they devastated agriculture and farmers through their flawed policies; now they are set on destroying health sector,’ he said. ‘Family dynasties have established monopolies over governance and they want to run the country like a personal kingdom.’ Issuing a stern warning, the JI leader said the government would face severe consequences if it resorted to illegal or unethical tactics to suppress peaceful protests and marches of doctors and paramedics. He challenged the CM to explain why the outsourcing plan involved terminating thousands of employees from the health sector. Expressing concern over the government’s apathy, he pointed out that it has been 23 days since the GHA began sit-in protest, yet the Punjab government has shown no willingness to listen to their demands. He appealed to doctors and paramedical staff to continue providing healthcare services to the general public during their protests.