ISLAMABAD, June 12: The health sector allocation recorded a significant jump with enhanced funding of Rs6 billion proposed for fiscal year 2004-05 under the public sector development programme (PSDP), against Rs4.37 billion allocated in the current year.

The government's contribution in the allocation is Rs5.15bn towards different projects while the remaining Rs892m will be met from foreign assistance.

The total estimated cost of 46 projects in the sector is Rs36.8bn, on which Rs7.4bn has already been spent, whereas Rs29.3bn has been carried forward.

The budgetary allocations include Rs3.7bn for the national programme for family planning and primary health care - the total estimated cost of which is Rs21.5bn. An amount of Rs2.6bn has been utilized till June 2004 under the project.

Similarly, Rs800m has been earmarked for the expanded programme of immunization (EPI), while the total cost of the project is Rs5.36bn, of which Rs2.6bn has been consumed.

For the enhanced HIV/AIDS control programme the allocation is Rs227m, out of which Rs181.6m is foreign assistance and Rs45m local funding. The cost of the project is Rs2.8bn, of which Rs173m has been utilized.

Of the 46 new projects, 19 have been identified to be initiated during 2004-05 under which the amount allocated in the PSDP is Rs328m for the rehabilitation of the Children's Hospital at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims), which was damaged due to rains in 2001. The estimated cost of the rehabilitation project is Rs714,9m, of which Rs711.9m is foreign aid.

Allocations for new projects under the PSDP include Rs10m for Khalifa Gul Nawaz Hospital Complex, Bannu, the estimated cost of which is Rs300m. An amount of Rs10m has been allocated for the national plan of action for non-communicable diseases (estimated cost Rs39.5m); Rs6.3m for institutionalization of health system research, establishment of centres and field areas; Rs5m for polio eradication, including micro-nutrients; Rs5m for strengthening immunization and surveillance system for infectious diseases (estimated cost Rs137.9m); Rs5m for the tuberculosis control programme; Rs20m for the health management information system; Rs5m for the maternal and neonatal health project; Rs50m for high risk area approach for neonatal tetanus at the National Institute of Health, Islamabad, (estimated cost Rs856.6m); and Rs15m for the establishment of interventional radiology suite at the department of radiology, Jinnah Postgraduate Medical College, Karachi, (estimated cost Rs39.7m).

The new schemes also include Rs3m for investigation and treatment of retinal detachment and bleeding diseases of retina at the department of ophthalmology, the JPMC; Rs5m for upgradation of basic medical sciences institute and laboratory services at the JPMC (estimated cost Rs59.6m); Rs5m for the establishment of a nephrology and dialysis unit at the National Institute of Child Health (NICH), Karachi, (estimated cost Rs30.2m); Rs39m for the purchase of MRI for the NICH, Karachi, (estimated cost Rs40m); Rs7m for ARI programme at the Children's Hospital in Islamabad (estimated cost Rs35m); Rs10m for the upgradation and renovation of the department of paediatric surgery at the NICH; Rs5m for community midwives (estimated cost Rs30m) and Rs10m for liver transplant unit at Pims (estimated cost Rs30m).