The Punjab government has invited applications until November 5 for contract appointments of professors and associate professors in 12 medical specialties, with retired doctors and private-sector medical professionals eligible to apply.
According to sources, doctors up to 65 years of age can apply for dozens of vacant teaching positions.
The posts are in departments facing severe faculty shortages: Cardiology, Cardiac Surgery, Anaesthesia, Pulmonology, Oncology, Radiology, Biochemistry, Forensic Medicine, Psychiatry, Paediatric Surgery, Paediatric Cardiac Surgery, and Paediatric Cardiology.
Each appointment will last a maximum of three years. It will end earlier if the doctor turns 65, or if a regular candidate is appointed through promotion or the Punjab Public Service Commission (PPSC), whichever comes first.
Senior doctors said the move would help junior doctors, as many of these posts have remained vacant for several months. In the absence of senior faculty, junior doctors have been working without proper supervision.
The proposal has also drawn objections. Permanent doctors fear the policy could limit their chances of reaching senior academic positions. Other sources said contract appointments could weaken the permanent structure of medical education and affect the promotion prospects of doctors already working in government institutions.
They also said the policy could increase administrative control over medical education and make senior academic appointments dependent on the preferences of officials. The government has not yet publicly explained the reasons for the proposed policy or responded to the concerns raised by medical professionals.
