Health gets 27pc raise with Rs470bn outlay.

LAHORE -- The Punjab government has earmarked Rs470 billion for the health sector in the next fiscal [2022-23], a 27 per cent increase as compared to the last year allocation.

According to the budget proposals approved by the provincial cabinet on Monday, Rs296bn have been allocated for non-development and Rs174bn for development.

One of the major initiatives of the budget is a hefty increase in the PTI's Sehat Sahulat programme allocation.

The budget document says the government has increased the allocation from Rs60bn [last year] to Rs125.4bn this year.

Provision of free drugs being resumed; hefty increase in Sehat Sahulat programme, PKLI allocations

For the first time, the Punjab government has set aside Rs5 billion hefty amount for the Pakistan Kidney and Liver Institute (PKLI) Lahore, a multi-billion project launched by the PML-N during its previous tenure.

The document claims that after coming into power in 2018, the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf has victimised the PKLI by slashing its funds and replacing the entire management.

The new management later shut down the institute's nearly hepatitis prevention and treatment centres established across the province.

It says the provision of free medicine to the patients, particularly, the cancer treatment drugs at the state-run hospitals of Punjab, were also the core initiative of the PML-N which was later closed down by the PTI government.

The Punjab government has announced restoring the same scheme from July 1 at all the public sector hospitals of the province.

The document also shares the salient features/major initiatives taken in the 2022-23 allocations stating the Punjab government has proposed establishment of new medical colleges in Narowal and Okara and the first 'nursing university of Punjab' at the PKLI.

For the nursing university, it has set aside Rs3.5bn, of which Rs1bn will be released in the coming fiscal year 2022-23.

It has allocated an amount of Rs9.7bn for the Integrated Reproductive Maternal Newborn and Child Health (IRMNCH) Punjab, Rs8.9bn for the Chief Minister's Stunting Reduction Programme and Rs2.5bn for the Prime Minister Health Initiative.

Similarly, the Punjab government has proposed Rs2bn for the Hospital Waste Management Regime in tertiary care hospitals of the province

It is also starting family planning services in Punjab by allocating Rs4bn to control the population growth.

Specialised Healthcare and Medical Education Department

For the SH and MED, the Punjab...