Punjab Finance Minister Mujtaba Shujaur-Rehman has said that the Punjab government has reserved Rs 2 billion to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). He said this while talking to various delegations here on Wednesday. He also said 36 percent of development budget has been allocated for south Punjab so that maximum development projects will be completed in the less developed districts.
"Budget allocated for health sector was Rs 121.80 billon, which is 11.66 percent of total expenditures of the government," he added. According to him, youth are the future of the nation and the government is providing them state of the art healthcare facilities to establish healthy society in the country. Protective healthcare programmes would be continued to save the children from epidemic, communicable and non-communicable diseases. Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI) aims at reducing morbidity, disabilities and mortality caused by vaccine preventable diseases.
The government is appointing trained Lady Health Workers (LHVs) and community midwives at health centres, especially in remote areas so that infants and mothers could be saved from fatal diseases. Moreover, LHWs are being appointed in remote areas. "All programmes launched for the maternal and neonatal healthcare will ensure progress towards achieving the MDGs in this regard. In order to achieve the results of MDGs, the major focus is on protecting the health of people trough strengthening of primary healthcare and disease preventive programmes and Rs 1.80 billion are being spent for the launching of a healthcare facilities programme to mother and child. The people of rural and remote areas are also being provided treatment facilities through mobile health units and Rs one billion has been provided for this purpose. A huge sum of Rs 47.44 billion will be spent for treatment facility and upgrade the hospitals during current financial year," he added.