LAHORE – The Punjab Government has proposed allocation of Rs35.656 billion for fiscal year 2012-13 as against Rs25.485 billion in the outgoing year, showing an increase of Rs9.284 billion for the health sector.
The Punjab government has proposed allocation of Rs16.5billion for carrying out projects under Annual Development Programme 2012-13.
Allocation for major tertiary care hospitals has been increased to Rs32.819 billion as against Rs23.535 billion in the outgoing fiscal year in line with the government policy to provide free medicine, disposables and provision of dialysis facilities to deserving patients. The government has also proposed allocation of Rs121.646 million for public health services as against Rs111.996 million in the outgoing year. Similarly, allocation for health administration has been increased to Rs 2.716 billion as against budget estimates of Rs 1.837 billion in the outgoing financial year. s
A hefty amount of Rs5.5 billion has been allocated for achieving Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), Rs 5.845 billion for provision of free medicine at public sector hospitals, Rs 4.5 billion for Mother and Child Healthcare Programme, Rs 300 million for free dialysis, Rs 500 million for ambulance service in rural areas, Rs 1 billion for construction of Balochistan Institute of Cardiology and Rs 500 million for establishment of Kidney Centre in Sawat.
In the fiscal year 2011-12, the government spent Rs 1 billion to cope with the emergency caused by dengue outbreak. The government has institutionalized all anti-dengue measures to avoid calamity in future.  Important new and ongoing development projects that are likely to be completed during the fiscal year 2012-13 include Rawalpindi Institute of Cardiology costing Rs 2.9 billion, 410 bed Civil Hospital Bahawalpur at Rs 2.54 billion, construction of medical colleges in Sahiwal, Sialkot, Gujranwala and D G Khan at Rs 3.27 billion and phase wise up gradation of DHQ Hospitals in these district to teaching hospitals at Rs 2 billion.