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Development Desk | June 2026 | 4 min read |
| ⚡ QUICK TAKEAWAYS |
| • CM Maryam has approved the Diaspora Doctor Locum Programme (DDLP), bringing overseas Pakistani and foreign specialist doctors to 12 public hospitals across Punjab. |
| • Eligibility requires postgraduate qualifications, at least 3 years of overseas fellowship experience, and a valid fitness certificate. |
| • Participating doctors must serve a minimum of 15 days and may perform up to 8 advanced surgical procedures per tenure. |
| • The programme includes a digital portal for registration, credential verification, appointment, payment, and reporting — plus a dedicated management dashboard. |
| • Three major specialist hospitals will open between July 15 and August 15: Nawaz Sharif Institute of Cardiology Sargodha, Nawaz Sharif Cancer Institute, and Jinnah Institute of Cardiology Lahore. |
Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has approved the Diaspora Doctor Locum Programme, a structured initiative to recruit overseas Pakistani and foreign specialist doctors for short-term assignments in Punjab’s public hospitals. Approved at a special meeting of the Specialised Healthcare Department, the programme will cover 12 public hospitals across the province and will be supported by a purpose-built digital portal and management dashboard.
| 12
Hospitals Covered public sector, Punjab |
15 Days
Minimum Tenure per overseas doctor |
8
Surgeries Per Visit advanced procedures cap |
How the Programme Works
Under the DDLP, experienced overseas Pakistani and foreign specialist doctors will be engaged for defined short-term assignments. Each participating doctor is required to serve in Punjab for a minimum of 15 days per assignment and may perform up to eight advanced surgical procedures during their tenure. The programme is specifically designed for specialists — not general practitioners — with eligibility criteria that include postgraduate qualifications, a minimum of three years of overseas fellowship experience, and a valid medical fitness certificate.
Crucially, the programme also includes a knowledge transfer mandate: overseas specialists are required to train local healthcare professionals during their assignment, embedding expertise in the resident workforce rather than simply treating patients and leaving. CM Maryam separately directed the Specialised Healthcare Department to launch a parallel initiative for the nursing sector, extending the locum model beyond the medical staff.
Eligibility and Programme Details
| Criterion | Requirement |
| Nationality | Overseas Pakistanis or foreign nationals with specialist qualifications |
| Qualifications | Postgraduate specialist degree required |
| Experience | Minimum 3 years of overseas fellowship experience |
| Fitness | Valid fitness certificate required |
| Minimum Service Period | 15 days per assignment in Punjab |
| Surgical Cap | Up to 8 advanced surgical procedures per tenure |
| Knowledge Transfer | Required to train local healthcare professionals during tenure |
| Compensation | Attractive packages to be offered (quantum not yet disclosed) |
| 🏥 WHY LOCUM WORKS FOR DIASPORA DOCTORS
The locum model — engaging doctors on short fixed-term contracts rather than permanent employment — is a well-established mechanism in British, Australian, and Gulf healthcare systems for managing specialist shortages. Pakistan’s diaspora of medical professionals in the UK, USA, Canada, Australia, and the Gulf represents a large pool of highly trained specialists. The DDLP attempts to tap this pool without requiring participants to give up their overseas careers, which has historically been the barrier to diaspora medical engagement. |
Digital Infrastructure
The programme will operate through a dedicated online portal and dashboard that will handle registration, credential verification, appointment procedures, payment mechanisms, and reporting systems. CM Maryam directed authorities to ensure the portal prioritises transparency and operational efficiency. The DDLP dashboard was presented to the CM at the meeting and is expected to become operational shortly.
Three Major Hospital Inaugurations Approaching
| Date | Milestone |
| July 10, 2026 | Recruitment completion deadline — Jinnah Institute of Cardiology, Lahore |
| July 15, 2026 | Nawaz Sharif Institute of Cardiology, Sargodha — inauguration (capital works completed) |
| July 31, 2026 | Nawaz Sharif Institute of Cancer Treatment and Research — Packages A and B complete; inauguration |
| August 15, 2026 | Jinnah Institute of Cardiology, Lahore — inauguration (pending July 10 recruitment completion) |
The CM received detailed briefings on progress at three major upcoming specialist hospitals. The Nawaz Sharif Institute of Cardiology in Sargodha has completed all capital works and is set to open on July 15. The Nawaz Sharif Institute of Cancer Treatment and Research will complete its core packages by July 31 and open the same day. The Jinnah Institute of Cardiology in Lahore, where recruitment is expected to be finalised by July 10, will inaugurate on August 15. If all three open on schedule, Punjab will have added three major specialist hospitals to its public healthcare system by mid-August 2026.
Disclaimer: This article is based on official statements from a Specialised Healthcare Department meeting chaired by Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz. Inauguration dates are targets set at the meeting and may be subject to revision. Details of DDLP compensation packages and the list of 12 participating hospitals were not publicly disclosed at the time of publication.
