LAHORE: The Specialised Healthcare and Medical Education (SHC&ME) Department has received approval to induct 947 postgraduate (PG) trainees in autonomous and non-autonomous medical institutions across Punjab at a cost of Rs 773.729 million in anticipation to provision of funds through supplementary grant during the current financial year 2016-17. A notification of approval issued by the Punjab Finance Department stated, “The governor of Punjab is pleased to accord sanction to the creation of 751 posts of postgraduate trainees at autonomous medical institutions at cost of Rs 613 million, and 196 stipend posts of postgraduate trainees at non-autonomous medical institutions at a cost of Rs160.137 million.” In autonomous medical institutions, the Punjab Health Department has created 55 posts at the Fatima Jinnah Medical College (FJMC) at a cost of Rs 44, 936,760, 212 posts at the Allama Iqbal Medical College (AIMC) at a cost of Rs 173, 210,784, 41 at the Ameerudin Medical College, Postgraduate Medical Institution Lahore at a cost of Rs 33, 498,312, 60 at the Rawalpindi Medical College (RMC) at a cost of Rs 49,021,920, 34 at the Benazir Bhutto Hospital, Rawalpindi at a cost of Rs 27, 779,088, 11 at RMC/DHQ Hospital, Rawalpindi at a cost of Rs 8,987,352, 80, nine each at District Headquarters Hospital DG Khan and Nishtar Medical College at the cost of Rs 7,353,288 and Rs 7,353,288, respectively. Similarly, 71 posts have been created at the Punjab Medical College (PMC) Faisalabad at a cost of Rs 58,009,272, 29 at PMC/DHQ Hospital, Faisalabad at a cost of Rs 23,693,928, four at Nishtar Institute of Dentistry, Multan at a cost of Rs 3, 262,128, 81 at Services Hospital at a cost of Rs 66,179,592, 34 at Shaikh Zayed Hospital, Rahimyar Khan at a cost of Rs 27, 779,088; 11 at Mian Munshi Teaching Hospital Lahore at a cost of Rs 8,987,352, four at Ch Pervaiz Elahi Instittute of Cardiology at a cost Rs 3,268,128 and six posts at the Shahdra Hospital Lahore with a total outlay of Rs 4,902,192. In non-autonomous medical institutions, SHC&ME Department has created 38 posts at the Children Hospital, Lahore at a cost of Rs 31, 047,200, 76 at Mayo Hospital at a cost of Rs 62,094,432; three posts at the Punjab Dental Hospital, Lahore at a cost of Rs 2,451,096; eight posts at DHQ Hospital, Sargodha at a cost of Rs 6,536,000, 12 at Government Kot Khawaja Saeed Hospital at a cost of Rs 9,804,384, 11 at Said Meetha Hospital at a cost of Rs 8, 987, 352, one post at Institute of Public Health at a cost of Rs 8, 17,000, 23 at Lady Aitchison Hospital at a cost of Rs 18,791,736, three at Lady Willingdon Hospital at a cost of Rs 2,451,096, 15 at Government Nawaz Sharif Hospital Yaki Gate at a cost of Rs 12,255,480 and six posts at the Children Hospital Multan at a cost of Rs 4, 902,192. SHC&ME Secretary Najam Ahmad Shah said that Punjab Chief Minister had approved a summary to allow unpaid postgraduate trainee doctors to be paid a monthly stipend of Rs 68,086. In future all PG slots would be paid and no postgraduate trainee doctor would work on honorary basis, he said, adding that the PG doctors were responsibility of the government and SHC&ME Department was the custodian of the doctors and would solve their problems in future also.