Health: Lowest allocation for research and development

Three drug-testing labs and two food-testing labs to be set up.

LAHORE: Research and development got the lowest allocation of Rs408.567 million in the Rs16.5 billion development budget for the Health Department for 2012-13.

The budget includes a block allocation of Rs4.452 billion, Rs3.464 billion for medical education, Rs1.035 billion for preventive and primary healthcare, Rs2.263 billion for an accelerated healthcare programme and Rs4.102 billion for tertiary care hospitals.

The research and development budget includes Rs92.197 million for the establishment of a drug testing laboratory in Rawalpindi, Rs77.163 million for one in Faisalabad and Rs54.02 million for one in Multan; and Rs77.163 million for the establishment of a food testing laboratory in Rawalpindi and Rs50.067 million for one in Faisalabad.

The government allocated Rs100 million for the Expanded Program for Immunisation, Rs100 million for the TB Control Programme, Rs100 million for provision of cell separator machines to blood banks at teaching hospitals and Rs300 million for the Prevention and Control of Epidemics Programme.

Hospitals and colleges

The government allocated Rs800 million for the construction of the Rawalpindi Institute of Cardiology; Rs200 million for the establishment of a burn and reconstruction surgery centre in Allied Hospital, Faisalabad; Rs705.678 million for the purchase of equipment for 400-bed hospital affiliated with Quaid-i-Azam Medical College; Rs292.042 million for the establishment of a modern burn unit at Nishtar Hospital, Multan; Rs201.186 million for facilities in the Multan Institute of Cardiology; and Rs114.376 million for the establishment of a kidney transplantation unit at Bahawalpur Victoria Hospital.

The budget includes Rs700 million for Gujranwala Medical College, Rs800 million for Khawaja Safdar Medical College Sialkot, Rs685 million for Sahiwal Medical College and Rs714 million for DG Khan Medical College. Another Rs35.980 million has been allocated for a health management information system and Rs11.650 million for a performance management system.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 10^th, 2012.