PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has allocated Rs11.69 billion for 115 development scheme, including 44 new, in the fiscal year starting from July 1.

The total outlay for all schemes has been calculated at Rs70 billion. The budget for the year 2019-20 was revealed by Finance Minister Taimur Salim Khan Jhagra in the provincial assembly on Tuesday.

The Sehat Sahulat Programme, which so far covered 69 per cent of the population, will be extended to the entire province by end of the year. The health department has also allocated amount for 72 old and 44 new schemes in the budget that also included a new medical college in Charsadda and dental college at Saidu Teaching Hospital Swat that will cost Rs100.5 million.

Medical college and dental college to be set up in Charsadda and Swat

The first-ever bone marrow transplant centre has been proposed at Khyber Medical University that will cost Rs150 million whereas Rs25 million has been proposed for the treatment for diabetes and hypertension at the level of primary healthcare facilities on experimental basis, according to the budget document.

The government has also planned to establish neonatal intensive care units at the type A and B hospitals at a cost of Rs2 billion for which an amount of Rs10 million would be allocated.

The development schemes also include upgradation of district headquarters hospital Lakki Marwat, construction of women and children hospital in Shabqadar Charsadda, building of second phase of women and children hospital Swabi besides upgradation of services and facilities at rural health centre Jolagram, type D hospital Sar Qila Buner, tehsil headquarters hospital Shangla, construction of children hospital Swat, reconstruction of Bari Kot district hospital in Swat and establishment of emergency and trauma centre in Matta, Swat.

The government has set aside Rs1.5 billion for completion of three major schemes, including Rs335 million for blood transfusion and Rs800 million each for expanded programme on immunisation and integrated health services delivery programme, according to the document.

Health Minister Hisham Inamullah Khan claimed that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa would become the first province where the entire population would get access to health services. “Each family will get Sehat Insaf card to avail free treatment at the designated public and private hospitals. The programme also covers government employees in the provincial departments,” he said.

The minister said that Rs7 billion would be spent on improvement of healthcare facilities at Peshawar Institute of Cardiology, Khyber Teaching Hospital, Hayatabad Medical Complex, Lady Reading Hospital, Institute of Kidney Diseases and Fountain House Peshawar.

“We have enhanced the budgetary allocation for purchase of drugs for primary and secondary care hospitals from Rs500 million to Rs1bilion,” he said. He added that an amount of Rs820 million was earmarked for free treatment of cancer patients during the next two years.

The minister said that free cancer treatment programme was benefitting more than 1,000 patients every year who couldn’t afford the costly medicines and diagnostic services.

According to him, the government has allocated Rs4.4 billion for preventive and promotive healthcare programme to safeguard people against different ailments. He said that under the plan, the government would upgrade all first level healthcare facilities to ensure treatment of people at their native areas.

Published in Dawn, June 19th, 2019