Punjab budget pro-people, claims health minister

LAHORE:Health Minister Khawaja Salman Rafique while commenting on the historic annual budget 2025-26 presented by the Punjab government said that the Punjab government has presented a people-friendly budget.

Punjab’s historic budget 2025-26 is a testament to the excellent vision of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz. A 915-bed state-of-the-art Nawaz Sharif Institute of Cancer Treatment and Research is being built in Lahore at a cost of Rs72 billion. A Nawaz Sharif Institute of Cardiology is being built in Sargodha at a cost of Rs8.6 billion. A Nawaz Sharif Institute of Cardiology is being built in Lahore at a cost of Rs8.8 billion. Children’s Hospital 2 and Institute of Genetic Blood Diseases, Institute of Surgical Orthopaedic and Rehabilitation, Specialized Medical Hospital and Medical College, 1000-bed Cardiac Institute, Medical University, State-of-the-Art Diagnostic Lab and Center of Excellence for Nursing Education will be established under Nawaz Sharif Medical City in Lahore at a cost of Rs54 billion. A total of Rs16 billion has been estimated for the establishment of medical colleges in Narowal, Okara and Layyah. A plan to establish burn units in Bahawalpur and Rahim Yar Khan at a cost of Rs4 billion is also being made part of the current budget. Rs7 billion has been allocated for the establishment of a teaching hospital in Sialkot, while Rs8.5 billion has been estimated for the establishment of a children’s hospital in Rawalpindi, the minister said.

‘It is a matter of great pride that for the first time in the history of Punjab, a huge amount of Rs79.5 billion has been allocated for the provision of free medicines in government hospitals. Ensuring free provision of cheap and quality medical treatment to the people of Punjab under the Universal Health Insurance Programme at a huge cost of Rs25 billion is also among the priorities of this budget. Funds of Rs3.2 billion have been allocated for the Chief Minister’s Children’s Heart Surgery Programme in the next financial year. Funds of Rs3.6 billion have been allocated for the Chief Minister’s Special Initiative for Transplant Program in the next financial year. ‘This programme will be continued in the next financial year with an estimate of Rs8.7 billion for the continuation of the Chief Minister’s Dialysis Programme. Funds of Rs3 billion have been allocated for the establishment of Cath Labs at the district level across Punjab. Air ambulance service has been launched brilliantly across the province. The Punjab government has paid special attention to the health sector in the budget 2025-26. It is striving to provide quality health facilities to the people.

‘The ongoing schemes of Punjab include the revamping of the old blocks of the Nawaz Sharif Institute of Cancer Treatment and Research Lahore, the Nawaz Sharif Institutes of Cardiology in Lahore and Sargodha, and the Punjab Institute of Mental Health. The ongoing schemes include the establishment of PMU and the health insurance programme. Like the previous budget, the health sector was the focus of Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif in this budget too. In the coming financial year, a record Rs181 billion has been allocated for the public health sector under the development budget. A huge amount of Rs450 billion has been allocated under the non-development budget,’ the minister added.