LAHORE: The Punjab government is gearing up for a massive launch of the Maryam Nawaz Community Health Services Program, with almost 20,000 Community Health Inspectors (CHIs) to be recruited in the province to boost public health services at the grassroots level.
According to a report, the deadline for private companies to submit bids for the recruitment project closed on Tuesday, marking an important step forward in the deployment of this ambitious health program.
As part of the process, 19,543 CHIs will be hired on daily wage contracts through the private sector, with the recruitment process being fully outsourced. Official sources indicate that there is over Rs. 16.5 billion allocated for the hiring process.
The private company, once selected, will be paid by the government directly and will be responsible for not just hiring but also reporting and dismissing CHIs, if needed, within the length of the contract.
In Lahore alone, the program will hire 3783 inspectors, with a budget of Rs. 3.5 billion, which gives Lahore the largest share of the program‘s budget. The CHIs will be replacing a void of vacant Lady Health Worker positions.
They will be responsible for health, data collection, and support for improved outreach to the community in urban and rural Punjab.
