KARACHI, June 16 The Sindh government has allocated about 72 per cent of the health sector annual development programme financing for the renovation, modernisation and addition of facilities at various hospitals across the province for the coming financial year.

According to the ADP 2009-10 allocations for the health sector, the government intends to initiate 12 new schemes for various hospitals, including seven for the teaching hospitals, at a cost of Rs1,148 million. The total cost of the 49 ongoing and new schemes at the teaching and other hospitals has been estimated at around Rs3,612 million in 2009-10.

The total expenditures against the 49 ongoing and 24 new schemes under the ADP 2009-10 of the health sector is around Rs5,016 million, including Rs100 million of a foreign-aided project. Last year the government had allocated Rs3,027.936 million for 21 new and 62 ongoing health schemes under the annual development programme.

According to the ADP documents, Rs887.457 million has been allocated for seven ongoing and four new preventive side projects, while Rs100 million has been earmarked to meet the chief minister's directives concerning health facilities.

Under the new annual development initiatives, a thalassaemia centre each will be established at the Civil Hospital Karachi, Lyari General Hospital Karachi, Liaquat University Hospital Hyderabad, Chandka Medical College Hospital Larkana, People's Medical College Hospital Nawabshah (Shaheed Benazirabad), GMMM College Hospital Sukkur and Civil Hospital Mirpurkhas at a cost of Rs210 million.

Another new scheme pertains to the establishment of a burns treatment centre each at the Liaquat University Hospital Hyderabad, Chandka Medical College Hospital Larkana, GMMM College Hospital Sukkur, Civil Hospital Mirpurkhas, and Sindh Government Hospital, Liaquatabad, Karachi, at a cost of Rs225 million. The burns and the thalassaemia centres will be established through relevant civil society organisations, the ADP documents included.

Under the new plans, cardiac centres, one each at the Civil Hospital Karachi, Liaquat University Hospital Hyderabad, Chandka Medical College Hospital Larkana, People's Medical College Hospital, Nawabshah, GMMM College Hospital Sukkur and Civil Hospital Mirpurkhas will be established at a cost of Rs300 million during 2009-10.

The establishment and strengthening of urological service/centres through relevant organisations or institutions have also been planned at the Liaquat University Hospital, Hyderabad, Chandka Medical College Hospital Larkana, People's Medical College Hospital Nawabshah and Civil Hospital Mirpurkhas at a cost of Rs200 million during the year.

An amount of Rs55 million has also been allocated for launching a three-year project to be called Benazir Institute of Urology and Transplantation in Nawabshah. The project is likely to cost Rs500 million till June 2012.

The government has also planned upgrade of the Drug Testing Laboratory, Karachi, expansion and improvement of the urban health centre at Orangi, the Malir and Keamari urban health centres and construction of additional indoor block at the SGH, Korangi, in three years. The total cost of the projects has been estimated at Rs500 million, while Rs25 million has been allocated for 2009-10. An amount of Rs70 million has been earmarked for the purchase of land (200 acres) for the construction of a women's medical university in Nawabshah, while another Rs10 million has been allocated for 2009-10 against a three-year project pertaining to the establishment of a medical college in Mirpurkhas, which is likely to cost Rs1,000 million in three years.

The government will also continue strengthening of safe blood transmission reforms at a cost of Rs34.852 million during the new year, while the establishment of nursing training institute at the Karachi Institute of Heart Diseases, revamping of the existing nursing schools and hostels in Sindh will be done through relevant civil society organisations or institutions.

An allocation of Rs100 million has also been made for an ongoing provincial tuberculosis control programme, while Rs600 million has been earmarked for the ongoing prevention and control of hepatitis under the Sindh chief minister's initiative.

As for new initiatives related to preventive programmes, a total of Rs85 million has been allocated for the child survival programme, improvement of the district health information system, strengthening of the maternal, neonatal and child health programme in Sindh, and the establishment and strengthening of cold chain facilities in Karachi, Hyderabad, Mirpurkhas, Larkana and Sukkur.

Rs30 million has been allocated for the ongoing enhanced HIV/Aids control programme and Rs10 million for national blood transfusion services, and Rs10 million for support of EPI vaccine through GAVI. Another Rs20 million has been allocated for nutritional support programme of Sindh, a new initiative which would complete by June 2013 at a cost of Rs100 million.

Rs50 million has been earmarked as a project completion facility and Rs101.167 million for medical education. For the ongoing hospital projects, the government has allocated a total of Rs600 million for the expansion and improvement of 11 district headquarter hospitals at Badin, Dadu, Mirpur Mathelo, Jacobabad, Khairpur, Sanghar, Mirpurkhas, Naushero Feroze, Shikarpur, Thatta and Mithi.