PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has allocated Rs55 billion for the health sector. This was revealed by KP Minister for Finance Taimoor Jhagra while presenting the provincial budget for financial year 2022-23 during a special budget session that was chaired by Deputy Speaker KP Assembly Mahmood Jan here on Monday.
OPD services under Sehat Card Plus programme would soon be launched in all Govt hospitals and patients can get free treatment for up to Rs10 million, he said adding Rs25 billion were allocated for Sehat Plus Card through which eight lakh patients were benefited during 2021-22.
Following inclusion of liver transplant, he said five more chronic diseases including bone marrow transplant, sclerosis, cochlear implants, thalassemia and advance cancer coverage would be included in Sehat Card for which Rs2.5 billion were allocated. He said that Rs53.6 billion earmarked for MTIs, allied and medical hospitals in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Four new medical colleges at Dir, Buner, Charsadda and Haripur would be established besides setting up of four new MTIs at Fountains House Peshawar, Kohat Institute of Medical and Dental Sciences, DHQ Charassadda and Women Children Hospital and DHQ Haripur.
As many as Rs3 billion were set aside for revamping of secondary care and service delivery while renovation of rehabilitation of 32 hospitals were completed.
Besides allocation of Rs2.7 billion for 58 hospitals in 24 districts for secondary care hospitals under Public Private Partnership, he said that 3000 more beds would be established while the primary care revamping programme was producing excellent results.
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The Minister said renovation of 700 BHUs and RHCs costing Rs82.4 billion have been started while renovation of 500 facilities completed. He said Rs2 billion allocated for strengthening of 15 BHUs and RHCs in 15 districts provides better services to people.
He said Rs10 billion would be spent on provision of free medicines to people besides allocation of Rs500 million for LHS and LHWs in addition to 3500 additional LHWs recruitment and additional funds of Rs1 billion funds for arrangements regarding eradication of polio in Bannu and Dera Ismail and Rs1.3 billion for launching of maternal ambulance service. A sum of Rs14 billion for energy and power had been allocated in the provincial budget for FY 2022-23. As many as services of 63,0000 employees would be regularized including 675 adhoc doctors, 58,0000 teachers and 4079 employees of 128 projects of erstwhile Fata during 2022-23. Taimur Jhagra said KP Govt has decided to maintain tax rates of fiscal year 2021-22, adding 20pc relaxation would be provided for re-registration of motor vehicles or first registration and there would be no tax on land with full exemption from Capital Value Tax (CVT) and registration fee.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022