Rs: 370 Billion Budget Allocated for Health Sector

14/06/21

The Punjab government has allocated budget of Rs. 370 billion for health sector and Rs. 96 billion for its development programme for FY 2021-21 which is 182 percent above the budget allocated for FY 2020-21. This was disclosed by Secretary Specialized Healthcare and Medical Education Barrister Nabeel Ahmad Awan here today after the Punjab Budget for FY 2021-22 was presented in the session of Punjab Assembly. He said that the budget of Rs. 78 billion has been allocated for next development projects of Specialized Healthcare Department. Five mother and child care hospitals will be constructed in Rajanpur, Layyah, Attock, Bahawalnagar and Sialkot with the joint collaboration of federal and provincial governments under ongoing projects, he added. Secretary health stated that Paeds Burn Centre in Children Hospital Lahore and 1000-bed hospital would be set up in Lahore during 2021-22 development programmes. Nabeel Awan said that ongoing projects of Specialized Healthcare including upgradation of DHQ hospitals in Gujranwala, Sahiwal and DG Khan districts, Institute of Urology Rawalpindi, Nishter Hospital Phase-II Multan, Rahim Yar Khan Hospital, Mother and Child Block Ganga Ram Hospital Lahore, upgradation of Radiology Unit, Services Hospital Lahore, DG Khan Institute of Cardiology and upgradation of bone marrow transplant unit Bahawal Victoria Hospital Bahawalpur would be executed after the budget was released for FY 2021-22. Secretary Health said that the Punjab government under the leadership of Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar has initiated a revolutionary project of universal health insurance worth Rs. 80 billion in the province. The Universal Health Insurance Programme has already been initiated in two divisions of Sahiwal and DG Khan. The health insurance facility will be extended to all citizens of province by the end of December 2021 which would benefit 110 million population of Punjab with free and quality healthcare facility in government and approved private hospitals, the secretary added.