MUHAMMAD SALEEM

LAHORE: The Punjab Provincial Development Working Party (PPDWP) approved development scheme of health sector with an estimated cost of Rs 714.423 million.

The scheme was approved in the 67th meeting of PPDWP of current fiscal year 2016-17 presided over Punjab Chairman P&D Muhammad Jahanzeb Khan.

Provincial Secretary P&D Iftikhar Ali Sahoo, members of the Planning & Development Board, provincial secretaries concerned and other senior representatives of the relevant provincial departments also attended the meeting.

The approved development scheme included establishment of 100-bed THQ hospital Potohar town (Rawat), district Rawalpindi at the cost of Rs 714.423 million, a spokesman of P&D said, here on Tuesday.

It may be noted that allocations for the health department have increased from Rs 63,561.443 million in FY 2015-16 to Rs 71,069.811 million in FY 2016-17 representing an increase of 13 percent over the budget estimates of FY 2015-16. In the budget, allocation of Rs 14,741.691 million has been made for provision of free medicines in public sector hospitals.

Official sources claim that the major allocations related to health sector are for purchase of medicine, repair of machinery and equipment.

In view of the importance of medical supplies, an effort has been made to provide maximum possible resources for purchase of medicines and other supplies for both the departments.

Resultantly, the allocations for free medicines have been enhanced from Rs 10,933.378 million in FY 2015-16 to Rs 14,741.691 million in FY 2016-17. Similarly, Rs 842.198 million has been allocated for the repair and maintenance. The allocation for general administration has been kept at Rs 1,039.012 million. In addition, a sum of Rs 1,000 million has been allocated to cater for emergencies and control of epidemics, the sources added.

In primary and secondary healthcare sector, the focus is on revamping of all district headquarter hospitals and fifteen major tehsil headquarter hospital in Punjab. On the specialized healthcare side, in addition to provision of state-of-the-art medical facilities in tertiary care hospitals, a major initiative is that of Pakistan Kidney and Liver Institute Lahore.

In addition, the government has also initiated a comprehensive project of clean drinking water (Punjab Saaf Pani Programme) with an allocation of Rs 30 billion for the current fiscal.