June 17, 2008	Tuesday	Jamadi-us-Sani 12, 1429

LAHORE, June 16: The dialysis centers in all teaching hospitals of Punjab are being revived after eight years or so. If no hassle is faced in getting through the procedure, the decision will help save a patient on an average Rs70,000 per dialysis.

The Punjab government has allocated Rs540 million for health sector in the 2008-09 budget for the purpose. The government has also planned to increase the number of dialysis and kidney centres in teaching hospitals. The total outlay of the health sector budget for 2008-09 fiscal is Rs35 billion, of which Rs26.1 billion are allocated for non-development expenditure and Rs9 billion for development programmes.

Of the total Rs26.1 billion, Rs13 billion and Rs12.6 have been allocated at provincial and district levels, respectively. The total allocation of the budget 2008-09 for the health sector is 38.5 per cent more than that of 2007-08.

The breakup of the expenditure is; Rs10,385.6 million for the hospital services, Rs79.7 million for public health services and Rs559 million for health administration.

Previously, the funds for the health sector reforms used to be included in the current expenditure but now these have been shifted to the annual development programme. Now under the new classification of New Accounting Method (NAM), health education is classified under Education Affairs and Services (EAS).

According to the budget document, the primary objectives of the government include reduction in maternal mortality ratio (MMR), infant mortality rate (IMR), strengthening of primary healthcare with emphasis on rural areas and urban slums, and strengthening of secondary and tertiary healthcare facilities for adequate referral back-up and encouraging public-private partnerships in the health sector.

Of the allocation for development programmes, a sum of Rs2,319 million has been earmarked for health sector reforms programme, Rs741 million for preventive care, Rs520 million for accelerated programme for healthcare, Rs2,210 million for tertiary care hospitals, Rs325 million for medical education and Rs130 million for research and development.

An allocation of Rs820 million has also been provided for up-gradation and setting up of 32 new tehsil and district headquarters hospitals. New DHQ hospitals will be set up in Narowal, Ladhran, Multan and Nankana Sahib and new THQ hospitals in Sharaqpur, Ferozwala, Sarai Alamgir, Qaidabad, Sangla Hill, Shahkot, Kot Radha Kishan, Chak Jhumra, Darya Khan and Jatoi under the development programme 2008-09.

The budget document says that feasibility studies are underway for the establishment of Children Hospital Faisalabad, Cancer Hospital Lahore, Liver Institute Lahore and Neuro-Sciences Institute Lahore. The feasibility study for health insurance will be undertaken leading initially to a pilot programme for health coverage for the poor.