Sindh raises health budget to Rs372 billion for FY2025–26

In a significant move aimed at enhancing healthcare services across the province, the Sindh government has increased the total health budget to an estimated Rs371.87 billion for the fiscal year 2025–26, up from Rs 347.57 billion in the previous year.

The new allocation includes both the non-development and development components of the health sector, reflecting a focused push towards accessible and specialized healthcare.

According to official documents and the provincial budget speech by Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, the non-development (recurrent) allocation for health has risen from Rs 302.2 billion in FY2024–25 to Rs 326.5 billion in FY2025–26, registering an increase of approximately 8 per cent. This segment covers salaries, operational expenses, and maintenance costs of hospitals and health programmes across Sindh.

Complementing this, the Annual Development Programme (ADP) for the health sector has also seen a boost, with the government earmarking Rs45.37 billion for FY2025–26, up from Rs 45.31 billion last year. While the nominal increase in development spending appears marginal on the surface, detailed analysis of Volume V of the PSDP reveals that the number of health development schemes has grown from 140 to 178, indicating a broader expansion in infrastructure and outreach.

Chief Minister Shah, while presenting the Rs 3,450 billion provincial budget, reaffirmed that “health for all” remains one of the top priorities of the Pakistan Peoples Party-led government. He said the enhanced allocation will be used to further strengthen critical institutions like the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD), Sindh Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (SICVD), Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation (SIUT), Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC), and Indus Hospital.

Over the past year, these institutions have provided free care to millions of patients. The NICVD treated over 1.4 million people, including 160,000 from other provinces, with thousands of emergency angioplasties and pediatric heart surgeries performed. The SICVD network, with its 10 hospitals and 29 chest pain units, offered over 2 million cardiac treatments across the province.

The Sindh Institute of Child Health and Neonatology (SICHN) has also emerged as Pakistan’s largest neonatal care network, operating more than 700 beds, 262 incubators, and 269 ventilators, and serving over 1 million newborns and children since its inception.

At GIMS Gambat, Sindh’s flagship multi-organ transplant and specialty center, the current fiscal year saw 308 liver transplants, 44 kidney transplants, and 84 cochlear implants performed, in addition to advanced robotic surgeries and bone marrow transplants. Similarly, the SIUT, which remains the largest dialysis and kidney transplant center in Pakistan, performed over 7,500 free transplants and served over 4.2 million patients this year alone.

The chief minister also highlighted Sindh’s partnership with Indus Hospital, which has made major strides in pediatric cancer care, cochlear implants, prosthetics, and emergency services.

“Access to free, dignified and quality healthcare is not a luxury—it is a right. We are proud to lead Pakistan in providing the most expansive and equitable public health network in the country,” Murad Ali Shah stated during his address to the Sindh Assembly.

The health sector's total share in Sindh's overall development portfolio now stands at roughly 13.6 per cent of the Rs 333 billion ADP, a clear indication of the government's policy to prioritize health amid fiscal constraints.

While health experts have welcomed the increased allocations, they caution that implementation and governance will determine the real impact. “It's not just about funds; it's about ensuring these resources translate into functioning health units, trained staff, and availability of medicine and diagnostics across rural and urban Sindh,” said a Karachi-based public health specialist.

As Sindh braces for ongoing public health challenges, including non-communicable diseases, maternal and neonatal mortality, and malnutrition, the increased budgetary commitment sets the stage for potentially transformative outcomes—provided the momentum is sustained.