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LAHORE, June 6: The Health Department has sought a Rs11.67 billion budget for the financial year 2002-03.
The amount is 37.31 per cent higher than the current year and there is a greater emphasis on development projects.
During the on-going year, Rs5.396 billion (63 per cent) were allocated for grants-in-aid to autonomous health institutions, purchase of medicines and development expenses. There was a Rs3.106 billion (37 per cent) allocation for salaries.
For the next year, the department has sought Rs7.811 billion (67 per cent) for grants-in-aid to autonomous health institutions, purchase of medicines and development expenses and Rs3.863 billion (33 per cent) for salaries to be paid to its 130,000 employees.
After the devolution of power to district governments from Aug 14 last year, the department is left with autonomous health institutions, directorates of nursing and health services, the provincial blood transfusion services, the mental hospital, the model chest clinic, the provincial health development centre, chemical examination and drug testing laboratories, the public analyst and the audit cell.
The functions devolved to the districts are: healthcare facilities from district headquarters hospitals to basic health units, village-level maternity health centres, blood units at the DHQ and THQ hospitals, nursing, public health nursing and paramedical schools and district health offices.
For tertiary care in the province, the department has sought Rs2.9 billion compared to current year’s allocation of Rs2.29 billion.
It is learnt that the 11 tertiary care autonomous institutions had originally sought Rs4.23 billion but the department recommended that they should be given Rs2.9 billion, still 17 per cent higher than this year’s allocation. The department argued that under new rules these institutions would be allowed to retain their earnings. The summary in this regard has been formally approved by the Finance Department and the governor.
During the current financial year, it is learnt, the Health Department had also extended a Rs224 million additional grant to the autonomous institutions and Rs100 million each to the DHQ and THQ hospitals.
The department has now sought Rs530.48 million for King Edward Medical College and the attached teaching hospitals — Mayo, Lady Aitchison and Lady Wellingdon. The department has also sought Rs278.42 million for the Postgraduate Medical Institute, Lahore, and the Services Hospital; Rs234.9 million for Allama Iqbal Medical College and Jinnah Hospital; Rs171.91 million for Fatima Jinnah Medical College and Sir Ganga Ram Hospital; Rs141.84 million for the Lahore General Hospital; Rs129.1 million for the Punjab Institute of Cardiology, Lahore; Rs378.41 million for the Rawalpindi Medical College and the Rawalpindi General Hospital, Holy Family Hospital and the Rawalpindi District Headquarters Hospital; Rs197.96 million for Quaid-i-Azam Medical College and Bahawal Victoria Hospital, Bahawalpur; Rs261.53 million for Nishtar Medical College and Nishtar Hospital, Multan; Rs291.44 million for Punjab Medical College and the Allied Hospital, Faisalabad; and Rs63 million for Shaikh Zayed Hospital, Rahim Yar Khan.
The department has also sought Rs1.13 billion against last year’s Rs1.2 billion for the DHQ hospitals. For THQ hospitals, it has sought Rs685.1 million against this year’s allocation of Rs626.8 million. For the rural health centres and the basic health units, the department has sought Rs3.28 billion against current year’s allocation of Rs2.45 billion. The department has also sought Rs111.7 million for the Government Hospital for Psychiatric Diseases against this year’s allocation of Rs93.6 million.
For the Directorate-General of Health Services, Punjab, it has sought Rs195.9 million against this year’s allocation of Rs119.6 million. For the Directorate-General of Nursing, Punjab, the demand is Rs6.6 million as against last year’s allocation of Rs7.1 million. For the Provincial Health Development Centre and the 34 District Health Development Centres, it has asked for Rs36 million.
The department has sought Rs104.3 million for blood transfusion services, Rs13 million for the drug testing laboratory, Rs16.5 million for chemical examination laboratory, Rs6 million for the bacteriology laboratory, Rs9.5 million for the public analyst and Rs7 million for the model chest clinic.
DEVELOPMENT SCHEMES: As its major initiative, the department has sought Rs200 million for the launching of the first University of Medical and Health Sciences to improve medical and paramedical education in the province.
It also plans to establish three medical colleges at Services Hospital and Shaikh Zayed hospitals at Lahore and Rahim Yar Khan. The department has, however, not worked out the cost to be incurred on the establishment of these colleges.
For the establishment of trauma centres at each teaching hospital in the province, the department has sought an allocation of Rs100 million. The department has also sought another Rs100 million for the computerization and networking of all autonomous health institutions in the province.
The department has sought Rs100 million for the Extended Programme of Immunization.
In order to start the five-year Women Health Project at an estimated cost of Rs1.262 billion, it has sought Rs300 million for the next financial year. The project was to be started during the on-going year. Under the project, the department plans to provide maternity and child health services in eight districts — Jhelum, Gujranwala, Sargodha, Bhakkar, Hafizabad, Multan, Bahawalpur and Rajanpur.
The department has sought Rs150 million to upgrade DHQ and THQ hospitals by constructing operation theatres and providing the required electro-medical equipment.
It has also sought Rs10 million each to initiate the projects to establish a cardiology institute and a children’s hospital in Multan, and for upgradation of nursing and paramedical schools.
The department has revised the Children’s Hospital, Lahore, project and demanded Rs15 million for its completion. To make operational the Holy Family Hospital, Rawalpindi, the department has sought Rs75 million. Rs10 million have been sought for the completion of a block at Lady Aitchison Hospital. The contract for the construction of two blocks at the hospital was awarded four years ago but the contractor abandoned work after completing one of them.
The department has also increased the number of seats for FCPS Part-II students from 500 to 1,250. The provincial government has raised the stipends of the FCPS Part-II students and 1,738 house physicians from Rs4,000 to Rs6,210.
The department is also offering contract jobs at its all basic health units at an enhanced salary of Rs12,000.
RECEIPTS: The department has fixed a Rs93.1 million target for income from government hospitals. This year, the receipts had been Rs85.5 million.
