Latest news with #Rs326.5
Express Tribune
2 days ago
- Health
- Express Tribune
New budget ignores woes of poor patients
The Sindh government has once again claimed improvements in healthcare, asserting increased health sector allocations while paradoxically achieving little in terms of improving patients' access to affordable healthcare. Sindh's public hospitals, facing increasing patient pressure, had submitted a formal written request to the Sindh government for a substantial increase in grants in the annual budget. However, the government rejected this request and instead allocated only an 8 per cent increase in grants for public hospitals. In contrast, a significant amount was allocated for NGOs working in the health sector, including public-private partnerships (PPP's) which were promised 50 per cent more funds. According to sources of the Express Tribune, for the 2025-26 budget, the Sindh government has allocated Rs326.5 billion for the healthcare sector, which is a steady rise from the previous year's budget of Rs302.2 billion. The budget for the People's Primary Healthcare Initiative has been increased from Rs12 billion to 16.5 billion, while the Gambat Institute's budget has been increased by Rs3 billion to 10 billion. In essence, instead of improving the state of government hospitals, the Sindh government has allocated a total of Rs146.9 billion for over 60 NGOs operating under public-private partnerships, an increase from Rs90 billion. Experts believe that this amount could have been used to provide health insurance to patients across Sindh, who remain deprived of adequate healthcare facilities. This is particularly imperative in a province where existing health facilities have seen no improvement in terms of bed capacity, despite annual budget increases. At the Sindh Government Children's Hospital near Nagan Chowrangi, which operates under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP), Sabir, the father of 8-year-old Zohaib, shared his concerns. "The hospital staff and administration act as if the facility is privately owned. They often show a lack of attention toward patients and display a disrespectful attitude towards their attendants. It is a common issue at PPP hospitals that essential medicines are frequently unavailable, and emergency services are often not provided during night hours. The attitude of doctors and staff is generally indifferent," said Sabir. Senior photographer at a daily, Jalal Qureshi, shared his recent experience of taking his granddaughter to the emergency department of NICVD's children's unit, where the guard and staff behaved extremely rudely with his son-in-law. "When I attempted to report the incident to the hospital director, I learned that the emergency department had been handed over to an NGO under the PPP model. The NGO staff gave the impression that the facility was a private hospital, with guards and staff appointed at the NGO's discretion," said Qureshi. "No new hospital has been established in Karachi in the past decade, while the bed capacity of existing hospitals has not been increased either. Even in hospitals like Civil, Jinnah, and Lyari, the number of beds remains the same as it was before. Despite the Sindh government increasing the budget for these hospitals every year, no measures have been taken to increase the number of beds. There is no accountability in this regard. Under public-private partnerships, the Sindh government has handed over buildings of public hospitals to various NGOs, which use electricity, water, and manpower free of cost. Although the Sindh government allocates significant funds to these NGOs in the annual budget, patients do not benefit from it," claimed Dr Nighat Khan, Chairperson of the Women Care Foundation. Former Caretaker Health Minister of Sindh, Dr Saad Khalid Niaz opined that the same funds could have been used to offer health insurance to the people. "Despite the Sindh government's annual claims of improving the healthcare sector, poor patients still face difficulties in accessing treatment. The number of government hospitals in the metropolitan city is insufficient for a population of over 20 million," said Dr Niaz.
Business Recorder
02-07-2025
- Health
- Business Recorder
Sindh to recruit 4,400 new teachers: Sharjeel
KARACHI: Sindh Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon has announced good news for the public that in the next quarter, the recruitment of 4,400 new teachers, the establishment of four new IBA community colleges, and the provision of financial autonomy to 34,000 schools will begin. Sharjeel Inam Memon said that thousands of deserving students will also receive scholarships through the Sindh Education Endowment Fund. In a statement, Sindh Senior Minister and Provincial Minister for Information, Transport, and Mass Transit Sharjeel Inam Memon said that funds are being released on a priority basis to allocate a substantial amount of Rs326.5 billion for the health sector. The expansion of SIUT, PPHI, NICVD, and Chandka Medical College Hospital, along with the upgrading of ambulance services, are the government's top priorities. He said that under the special development package allocated for Karachi, road, water, sewage, and mass transit projects will commence soon.
Express Tribune
01-07-2025
- Business
- Express Tribune
Next quarter to see massive projects: Sharjeel
Sindh Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon has announced that 4,400 teachers would be recruited, four new IBA community colleges would be set up, and the provision of financial autonomy to 34,000 schools would begin in the next quarter of the year. He also said that thousands of deserving students would receive scholarships through the Sindh Education Endowment Fund. He mentioned that funds are being released on a priority basis to allocate a substantial amount of Rs326.5 billion for the health sector. The expansion of SIUT, PPHI, NICVD, and Chandka Medical College Hospital, along with the upgrading of ambulance services, is the government's top priorities. He said that under the special development package allocated for Karachi, road, water, sewage, and mass transit projects will commence soon. Additionally, following the introduction of 50 electric buses, another 100 buses will be deployed on the roads by August. The process of providing subsidies to 200,000 farmers under the Benazir Hari Card is also being initiated in a phased manner.
Express Tribune
14-06-2025
- Business
- Express Tribune
A budget of contrasts
Listen to article The Sindh government's Rs3.45 trillion budget for the upcoming fiscal year sees an almost 13% increase while increasing much-needed public spending in some areas, but at the same time, leaving unanswered questions about fiscal sustainability. Sindh has outsized significance for our economy — mostly due to the country's commercial capital, Karachi — and its budget priorities can have a major influence on economic activity in other parts of the country. The large projected deficit — almost Rs38.5 billion — and heavy reliance on federal transfers may face complications due to Islamabad's own precarious finances. But at least the money is being spent on the right things. Over Rs523 billion has been earmarked for education, including Rs156 billion for primary education. Health funding rises to Rs326.5 billion, some of which will help cover the construction of a new hospital in Larkana and SIUT oncology centres across the province. Poverty alleviation measures, farm subsidies and upgrades to transportation infrastructure, including Karachi's public transport system, are among the other notable spending areas. However, some of the relief measures in the budget could prove crippling, especially the removal of several taxes and reduction in others. Federal revenues are chronically short of the target every year, leaving the province at risk of a significant shortfall. Salary and pension hikes, though necessary, also represent a large outlay. Given Sindh's high dependence on federal transfers, the federal shortfall alone could deprive the province of enough revenue to throw a spanner into the works. But if Sindh can stimulate significant improvements without republic support, it could become a national benchmark — as long as Washington, DC and other world capitals do not treat audiences too harshly. Rational decisions are rarely enough to inspire the US to take a break.
Express Tribune
14-06-2025
- Health
- Express Tribune
Health budget up by eight per cent
As part of the Rs3.45 trillion provincial budget for FY 2025-26, the government has allocated Rs326.5 billion to the health sector, marking an 8 per cent increase from the previous year's Rs302.2 billion. A significant portion of Rs146.9 billion is to be disbursed as grants-in-aid to public health institutions and medical units across the province. Key allocations include Rs19 billion for the Sindh Institute of Urology & Transplantation (SIUT), Rs16.5 billion for the Peoples Primary Health Initiative (PPHI), and Rs10 billion for the construction of a new hospital in Larkana. Further, Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah announced that the government has transformed three major public healthcare institutions, including Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC), the National Institute of Child Health (NICH), and the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD), into world-class facilities over the past 13 years. Delivering his budget speech in the Sindh Assembly, Shah highlighted that the combined bed capacity of the institutions has increased from 2,092 to 4,041, reflecting a significant expansion in public healthcare services. He also revealed that the construction of a new 12-storey medical tower, and a seven-storey officers' ward, is nearing completion at JPMC, stating "this will make JPMC not only the largest healthcare facility in the country but also among the largest in the world." Further, the CM stated that patient visits to the three institutions have surged from 1.6 million in 2011 to over four million in the current year. Meanwhile, highlighting advancements in cancer care, Shah said the provincial government, in partnership with the Patients Aid Foundation (PAF-JPMC), has revolutionised radiation oncology services by introducing CyberKnife, Tomotherapy, and PET-CT facilities. He noted "this is the only centre in the world providing free CyberKnife and Tomotherapy treatment regardless of nationality, religion, or ethnicity. Patients from 168 cities and 16 countries have benefited from these services at JPMC Karachi." APP
