By: Salman Yousafzai
The merged districts in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) have once again been overlooked in the health budget for the upcoming fiscal year 2025-26 The health department has allocated a total of Rs 11.94 billion for the purchase of medicines; however, the settled districts will receive Rs 11.7 billion, while the merged tribal districts are allotted only Rs 240 million. Medical experts have criticised this small allocation for the tribal districts, which have a population of 7 million, describing it as “like cumin in the mouth of a camel.” They argue that this budget is insufficient to provide even life-saving medicines, especially since health card facilities are unavailable in the merged districts.
Officials note that the population of these merged districts is compelled to seek medical care in larger cities, further increasing the strain on already overcrowded hospitals. Experts are urging the provincial government to significantly increase the budget to prioritise the health needs of the tribal districts.
It is important to highlight that last year’s budget allocated Rs 10.97 billion for medicines across the province. The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Finance Department has set the health department’s budget at Rs 276 billion for 2025-26, which marks a 19 per cent increase from the previous fiscal year. For comparison, Rs 232 billion was allocated for health in the last fiscal year.
