May 12, 2006	Friday	Rabi-us-Sani 13, 1427

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ISLAMABAD, May 11: A minimum increase of Rs2 billion is expected in next year’s budgetary allocations for the health sector. This was stated by Health Minister Mohammad Nasir Khan while talking to mediapersons at the inaugural ceremony of the renovated accident and emergency ward at Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) here on Thursday.

The minister said in this regard “we have already sent our demand to the finance managers of the country”.

During the last three years the health budget increased up to Rs10.5 billion, he said.

Mr Khan said Rs2.7 billion were being spent on the employment of lady health workers and Rs2.5 billion to cure patients suffering from hepatitis.

About Rs30 billion have been earmarked for mother-child health care under a five-year programme to meet medium development goals.

He said various projects, including Rs7.2 billion prevention of blindness, hepatitis and HIV/Aids, had been started by the health ministry, and to run these projects the ministry needed money.

He said two medical towers, which would be built one each at Pims and Jinnah Post Medical Centre (JPMC), Karachi, had also been included in the upcoming budget.

The multi-storey medical towers were to be built in 2005, but due to the October 8 earthquake, the plan got delayed, the minister said, adding that the project concept had been redesigned and the prime minister would perform the stone-laying ceremony soon.

Two trauma centres will be built at Pims and Sheikh Zayed Hospital (SZH) Lahore, and helicopter medical services would also be started.

Mr Khan directed the doctors and hospital administration to ensure that medicines and all necessary facilities provided by the government were properly used for the welfare of the patients.

It had been reported that doctors had minted money in the past by misusing facilities, he added.

Earlier, Pims Executive Director Dr Fazle Hadi said emergency department at Pims needed renovation and upgradation to cope with the increased flux of patients. About 114,276 patients, including 41,584 women, visited Pims emergency ward from May 11, 2005 to May 11, 2006.

During this period, 2,358 CT scans, 2,600 ultrasounds, 25,976 x-rays and 69,721 different laboratory tests were performed in the ward.

After the renovation work, the ward has a medico legal officer room, filter clinic, reception, hall for patients, toilets for both genders, casualty medical officer room for two doctors, minor operation theatre, resuscitation room, cardiac room, male and female wards, pharmacy, drugs and other medical equipment store, ECG room, nursing counter and doctors room.