ISLAMABAD: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has earmarked 27.24 billion rupees for 182 development projects in the health sector during the current financial year 2025-26.
According to official documents, 89 of these 182 projects are ongoing schemes, while 93 are new projects. The number of projects are completed included general hospitals, which number 96, on which Rs 11.68 billion is being spent on the construction of General Hospital for which Rs 11.68 billion were spent.
Similarly, Rs 9.52 billion has been allocated for 48 projects in the primary health sector, while Rs 1.78 billion will be spent on 17 medical education and training projects. Rs 3.98 billion has been allocated for 16 projects of preventive health programs, Rs 250 million for four projects of teaching hospitals and one project of social action program for which Rs 5 million has been allocated.
On the other hand, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Health Department did not release funds for dozens of important basic health projects during the last fiscal year 2024-25, due to which these projects are still pending.
According to official data, billions of rupees were allocated for these projects, but not a single rupee could be spent on the ground. Rs 15 million was allocated for the project to provide free treatment to the public under the Social Health Protection Initiative, while Rs 17.4 million was allocated for the upgradation of the BHU in Hazarkhwani, but both projects could not be started due to the unavailability of funds.
Similarly, Rs 86 million were allocated for the project to keep 200 BHUs functional 24 hours a day, seven days a week across the province, but this amount also remained buried in files. Similarly, the project to provide 24-hour facilities in 50 rural health centres required Rs 55.5 million, which has not been released yet. Locals say that due to the closure of funds, patients are not getting timely medical facilities, but people also have to bear the cost of bringing them to the city themselves. BHUs in rural areas usually close at 2:00 pm, after which there is no option but to take patients to nearby cities’ private hospitals.
If funds were not released, these projects will not only face further delays but will also put more burden on the already stressed health system in the province. Locals have demanded that the government pay immediate attention to these basic health projects and seek answers from the responsible institutions so that the people of rural areas can get basic health facilities.
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