Health gets second major chunk after education

With 14% increase over last year total allocation stands at Rs206.98 billion

KARACHI:

After spending a major chunk of the health budget to fight Covid-19 pandemic during the last two fiscal years, Sindh government has allotted more money on health infrastructure and on curative side to facilitate its ailing residents across the province.

The government, for the next fiscal year, has allocated Rs206.98 billion for the health sector, covering primary, secondary and tertiary healthcare. It is almost 14 per cent higher than the last year's budget allocation. This is the second highest increase after education with 15 per cent.

The budget document reveals that more than 20 development projects in the provincial health sector will be completed by the end of fiscal year 2022-23.

New projects

Apart from renovating and establishing different facilities in major hospitals in different cities, health department plans to establish five 200-bed Infectious Diseases Hospitals, one each in divisional headquarters, including Sukkur, Shaheed Benazirabad, Hyderabad, Larkano and Mirpurkhas, with a target to complete them by June 2025.

The health authorities also plan to establish Makhdoom Muhammad Zaman Talib-ul-Moula Medical College and Teaching Hospital at Hala.

The provincial government will also establish satellite centres of Sindh Institute of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (SIPMR) in three districts of Karachi and five others, one each in Hyderabad, Larkano, Khairpur, Mirpurkhas and Shaheed Benazirabad to provide free of cost multidisciplinary rehabilitation services to people with various disabilities such as amputation, stroke, autism and others. Total Rs400 million has also been allocated for the SIPMR.

Grants

In its non-development budget, the provincial government has allocated Rs66.151 billion as grants to different institutes, trusts and non-governmental organisations.

The Peoples Primary Health Care Initiative that looks after health facilities in 22 districts of the province has been provided grant-in-aid amounting to Rs11.481 billion with 40 per cent increase as compared to last fiscal year.

A total of Rs12.539 billion has been allocated for the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases and its 10 satellite centres located in different parts of the province.

Similary, a grant amounting Rs10 billion has been kept for Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation.

With overall 75 per cent increase in its budget, R3.5 billion has been allocated for the procurement of vaccine for Expanded Programme on Immunization. Funds amounting to Rs290 million have been provided to 10 thalassemia centres for free treatment of the thalassemia patients.

The budget documents said that in order to support children healthcare institutions, the provincial government has allocated Rs1.7 billion.

Apart from these grants, Rs1 billion has also been allocated for the purchase of PCR kits and same amount for the emergent need of the health department.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 15^th, 2022.