Rs25 bn allocated for health sector under PSDP

ISLAMABAD: For completion of 20 ongoing and 37 new projects in health sector under the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP), the federal government has proposed an allocation of Rs25.034 billion for the fiscal year 2018-19, which is significantly lesser as compared to the last year’s allocation.

The federal government has not proposed anything worth mentioning for medical products, appliances and equipment for public sector healthcare facilities. Under the head of Health Affairs and Services, a total allocation of Rs13.897 billion has been made in the budget estimates of 2018-19, which is higher by 8.2 percent and 7.4 percent when compared with the budget and revised estimates of 2017-18.

The allocation for Hospital Services forms the major component, which is 83.9 percent, amounting to Rs11.657 billion, while Rs31 million has been proposed for medical products, appliances and equipment.

“I am ashamed to tell you that 30 percent of my Pakistani children are stunted due to malnutrition and inadequate food. I am today allocating on the instructions of the prime minister at least Rs10 billion for a programme that will end child stunting,” said the Adviser on Economic Affairs Miftah Ismail.

During the speech, Miftah Ismail claimed that their government introduced large-scale reforms in the health sector and it is the government’s top priority to provide quality health services to the people. However, the federal government this year too did not propose any investment in the federal budget announced for 2018-19 for bringing technology in the country so that the import of pharmaceutical raw materials should not be needed in future.

Miftah Ismail, however, spoke about a technology involving mobile phone app with the help of which teachers can look into students’ eyes and detect many diseases. “The programme will be started with the poorer districts of Pakistan and will be spread to all public schools in a few years,” he said.

To provide relief for cancer treatment in Pakistan, the government has exempted drugs from customs duties at import stage. However, the sole exception was Tasigna on which customs duty at the rate of 5 percent is proposed to be withdrawn, said Miftah while talking of relief for the health sector.

It is important to note that in 2008-09, as many as 18 life-saving drugs used for treatment of cancer were exempted from duty while medical equipment, apparatus, reagents and disposables were exempted from sales tax.

According to health experts, the federal government did not propose any significant investment in long-term healthcare policies to accommodate patients visiting public sector healthcare facilities.