LAHORE: The Punjab government has allocated an amount of Rs 181 billion as development budget for the health sector for the year 2025-26 which is 131 percent higher than the current year allocation.
In the year 2025-26, an amount of Rs 450 billion has been set aside for non-developmental expenditures which are 16 percent of total expenditures under this head. As per budget document, the budget estimates for FY 2025-26 for the program loans (foreign) have been set at Rs. 47.896 billion.
The Punjab government is likely to receive budgetary support loans from international development partners for National Health Support Program, Access to Clean Energy Investment Program, Punjab Family Planning Program, Punjab Green Development Program, Punjab Resource Improvement and Digital Effectiveness (PRIDE), Punjab Affordable Housing Program (PAHP), Punjab Clean Air Program and Responsive Ready Resilient STEM Secondary Education in Punjab.
As per the budget document, health remains a cornerstone with flagship health initiatives such as Medical City, free medicine, and new centres for cancer and cardiac care. The establishment of Nawaz Sharif Medical District at Lahore has been proposed for which Rs 109 billion have been allocated in 2025-26 for land acquisition. Under this project, Rs 54 billion have been allocated for Children Hospital-II & Institute of Genetic Blood Diseases, Institute of Surgical Orthopaedic & Medical Rehabilitation, Center of Excellence for Nursing Education, Specialized Medical Hospital & Medical College, 1000-bed Cardiac Institute, Medical University and state-of-the-art Diagnostic Lab. For the construction of Medical Colleges at Narowal, Okara and Layyah, an amount of Rs. 16 billion has been allocated. For the establishment of Children Hospital at Rawalpindi, Rs 8.5 billion has been set aside. For Teaching Hospital at Sialkot, Rs 7 billion have been allocated.
For Maryam Nawaz Community Health Services Program through Outsourced Community Health Inspectors, an amount of Rs. 12.5 billion has been proposed while for the establishment of Center of Excellence for Nursing Education in Multan & Rawalpindi (ADB Loan), Rs. 15 billion have been set aside. Moreover, for the establishment of Burn Unit at B.V. Hospital, Bahawalpur & Rahim Yar Khan, Rs. 5 billion have allocated. Sufficient budgetary allocations have been made in the budget 2025-26 for revamping of remaining/leftover 24/7 BHUs across Punjab, revamping/reconstruction of existing dispensaries and MCH Centers across Punjab and provision of equipment and furniture and fixture of remaining BHUs and RHCs.
Under the Chief Minister’s Special Initiative for Dialysis Program, Rs. 8.6 billion have been earmarked while for provision of free medicines in public sector hospitals, Rs 79.5 billion have been set aside. With an amount of Rs 25 billion, Universal Health programme is also being launched for provision of cheap and quality treatment facilities. For setting up Cath Labs at district levels, Rs three billion have been allocated in the budget.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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