The Punjab government has abolished 1,008 Grade-17 contract posts of Emergency Medical Officers (EMOs), impacting hundreds of doctors just days before Eid al-Fitr, the Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department said in a notification dated March 14, 2026.
The EMO positions were created in 2018 to staff emergency wards at district and tehsil-headquarters hospitals. Doctors were hired on contract through interviews, working morning, evening, and night shifts with a monthly salary of Rs150,000 and a promised 5% annual increment.
Officials said February 2018 appointees will not have their contracts extended, while those hired in June 2018 will continue until their agreements expire in June 2026.
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The 1,008 EMO positions have been restructured as Medical Officer and Women Medical Officer roles under the Punjab Primary and Secondary Healthcare Services (Secondary Level Human Resource) Rules, 2025, approved by the provincial cabinet in December 2025.
Affected doctors will not be automatically placed in the new posts. Instead, they must apply and qualify through the Punjab Public Service Commission (PPSC) examinations to secure the redefined positions, officials added.
