Health sector budget increased by Rs300m

Includes funds for 4 colleges and trauma centre, upgrade of health centres.

LAHORE:

Health has been allocated Rs41.202 billion. The non-development allocations have been increased by Rs3.832 billion over the last year’s Rs22.570 billion and fixed at Rs26.402 billion this year. The development allocations have been fixed at Rs14.8 billion, up by Rs300 million compared to the previous year.

Rs8.487 billion has been set aside for 110 on going schemes. Twelve new schemes have been introduced and allocated Rs6.313 billion.

Meanwhile, Rs13.987 billion has been set aside in salaries out of the total non-development budget.

Service-wise Rs23.130 billion of the non-deployment allocation will be spent on general hospital services; Rs405 million on special hospital services (mental hospital); Rs64 million on chemical examiner and laboratories; Rs1.676 billion on administration; and Rs1.125 billion on medical and technical institutions.

Focus on medical education will be enhanced in pursuit of a doctor-citizen ratio of 1 to 1,000 [WHO standard]. The current ratio in Punjab is 1 to 2,187.

Four new medical colleges will be established in Gujranwala, Sialkot, Sahiwal and DG Khan. The Rawalpindi Nursing School will also be upgraded. Fifty new mobile health units with latest medical equipment would be introduced this year. Two trauma centres will be constructed at Bhera Service Area on motorway with the allocated Rs89.018 million.

Rawalpindi Institute of Cardiology, Institute of Urology and Transplantation Rawalpindi, Institute of Organ Transplant Lahore, Kidney Centres at Multan and Bahawalpur, Expansion of Children Hospital Multan, Fatima Jinnah Institute of Dental Sciences, Lahore and burn units in Lahore, Faisalabad, Multan and Rahim Yar Khan will be upgraded.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 11th, 2011.