LAHORE: The Punjab government has allocated Rs500 billion for the health sector for the financial year 2026-27, shifting major focus towards cancer and cardiac treatment and the health facilities of under-developed districts of the province.

According to the budget documents, the government has made major allocations for 12 mega health programmes/schemes launched across the province.

The PML-N government has launched a flagship mega health project - Nawaz Sharif Medical District - in southwestern outskirts of Lahore near Pine Avenue and LDA City.

It was claimed as Pakistan’s first major public-sector cancer facility equipped with bone marrow centres, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy.

Rs5.2bn proposed for missing equipment at secondary healthcare facilities

The project integrated multiple specialised medical institutions under a single, pedestrian-friendly campus spanning over 1,500 kanals.

The Punjab government has earmarked a total Rs169bn for the state-of-the-art Nawaz Sharif Medical District in the fiscal 2026-27.

The Nawaz Sharif Institute of Cancer Treatment and Research, Lahore, was also part of the above-mentioned mega project and the government has allocated Rs20b for this individual scheme.

Similarly, Rs9.3bn budget has been proposed for another big project for the establishment of cardiac surgery units at DHQ hospitals with Cath labs.

The government also launched a programme of provision of CT scan machines to all the DHQ hospitals of Punjab by allocating Rs2.3bn.

For other projects, Rs15.2bn were set aside for Kulsoom Nawaz Cancer Hospital at DG Khan, Rs23.3bn for the Children’s Hospital at Bahawalpur, Rs1.7bn for the establishment of Cath labs at selected DHQ hospitals (Phase-III), and Rs2.9bn allocated for the capacity building of emergency services.

A sum of Rs5.2bn has been proposed for the provision of missing essential equipment at the secondary healthcare facilities including district and tehsil headquarters hospitals with prime objective of addressing healthcare needs of the poor patients at their doorstep.

Following the recommendations of the heads of the public sector hospitals, the government has also made an allocation of Rs900 million for the expansion of emergency services at town level.

The document says Rs900m were allocated for the Chief Minister’s New Rescue Stations.

Keeping in view the growing demand of the Punjab Institute of Mental Health, Lahore, the government has proposed a Rs2.4bn budget.

The Nishtar Hospital, Multan, is the largest teaching hospital of south Punjab and Rs5bn were set aside for the upgrade of its emergency and OPD blocks.

Last year, the Punjab government had provided Rs3bn to run Clinic-On-Wheels plan by facilitating 30.8 million patients. It has again allocated Rs3.8bn for the same scheme for the next fiscal year.

Published in Dawn, June 17th, 2026