Federal Health Minister Nasir Khan informed the Senate on Friday that Pakistan and India should focus on peace so that their budgetary allocations on defence be diverted to social sector, especially health. He was answering a question raised by Senator Muhammad Akram in the Senate. The minister informed the House that budget allocation for health sector was 0.72 percent of the total federal budget.
He also said that the development budget allocation was Rs 141.634 million for PIMS and FGSH and Rs 66.569 million was utilised during 2003-04.
Nasir Khan said that health facilities could only be improved after raise in the federal budget. He said that the UK health budget is 15 percent, India 2 percent, Sri Lanka 8 percent and Pakistan's health budget is less than the Saarc countries budget allocations, which becomes the major reason of lower grade health facilities.
The minister said that the current health budget must be raised by 3 percent to 4 percent to provide good health facilities to the citizens. He said that about Rs 85 million grant has been provided by the donor agencies on the request of the Health Ministry.
Nasir said that currently 72,000 lady health workers are working in the country and this ratio would be enhanced up to 100,000 by the federal government.