Punjab Govt Allocates Rs 279b For Health Sector

The Government of Punjab has allocated a sum of Rs 279 billion for the health sector in the annual budget for the fiscal year 2019-20

LAHORE, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 14th Jun, 2019 ) :The Government of Punjab has allocated a sum of Rs 279 billion for the health sector in the annual budget for the fiscal year 2019-20.

In his budget speech, Provincial Finance Minister Makhdoom Hashim Jawan Bakht said that the current allocations for the health sector were 20 per cent more than the last fiscal year's.

In the budget, the government allocated Rs 40 billion for establishment of new hospitals in Lahore, Layyah, Rawalpindi, Mianwali, Rahim Yar Khan and Bahawalpur.

The minister also said that the Punjab government was contemplating to raise the status of the Children's Hospital Lahore to a medical university.

He said the Health Sehat Card programme would also be expanded to 26 districts of Punjab in the current fiscal year 2019-20.

As per the break-up of the statistics of the budgetary allocations for the health sector: Rs 9300.534 million has been earmarked for 42 ongoing development schemes, while 39 new development would be completed with Rs 10,099.466 million of the Specialized Healthcare and Medical education.

Similarly, the Punjab government has fixed Rs 18359.843 million for the 120 ongoing schemes of the Primary and Secondary Healthcare and Rs 5140.157 million for the 39 new development schemes.

The finance minister, highlighting the goals of the health sector, vowed to provide quality and efficient health services that are equitable, affordable and accessible to all.