Sindh to double healthcare spending

KARACHI: The Sindh health department allocated Rs11 billion in the provincial health budget for the 2012-13 fiscal year, announced Sindh Health Minister Dr Sagheer Ahmed on Thursday. The budget is five billion rupees higher than last year’s.

The government would start 64 projects to control the spread of infectious diseases at a cost of four billion rupees, said a health official. The Sindh government had already approved nearly 95% of the proposals so far.

The government set aside Rs200 million for a rehabilitation centre for autistic children in Karachi. Centres for diabetes, high blood pressure, cancer and urological and psychiatric disorders are planned for Karachi, Hyderabad and Sukkur, at a cost of Rs400 million.

The government has set aside Rs100 million to start a province-wide ambulance service programme, similar to the Rescue 1122 programme in Punjab.

In a nod towards the medical needs of a growing population in Hyderabad, Rs500 million was allocated for a cardiac hospital, Rs300 million for a pediatric hospital and Rs200 million for a kidney hospital.

In order to facilitate the early detection of breast cancer, the government allocated Rs100 million for multiple screening programmes.

The government would also contribute Rs1.5 billion towards the establishment of a Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation hospital in Sukkur. Drafting laws to deal with thalassemia and ensuring that officials at the health department are trained in health management would be among the priorities of the provincial government.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 25^th, 2012.