Balochistan Allocates Record Rs. 96 Billion for Healthcare Sector

The Balochistan government has allocated Rs96 billion for the health sector in its fiscal year 2026-27 budget, marking a 30 percent increase from the current year’s allocation of Rs71 billion.

Presenting the provincial budget, Finance Minister Mir Shoaib Nosherwani said healthcare remains a top government priority due to its direct impact on quality of life and economic development.

The allocation includes Rs6 billion for development projects and Rs90 billion for non-development expenditures. Officials said the increased funding aims to strengthen healthcare services, expand access to medical facilities, and improve public health outcomes across the province.

Among the major allocations, Rs1.3 billion has been earmarked for the New Trauma Centre in Quetta to enhance emergency healthcare services. Funding for the Balochistan Health Card Program has also increased from Rs4.5 billion to Rs6 billion, while grants for the People’s Primary Healthcare Initiative (PPHI) have risen from Rs7.6 billion to Rs8.8 billion.

The government has raised the medicines budget by 23 percent, from Rs6.9 billion to Rs8.5 billion, to ensure the availability of essential drugs in public hospitals.

Specialized healthcare facilities have also received funding, including Rs10 million for a Thalassaemia Centre in Kech and Rs9 million for a similar facility in Gwadar. The Sheikh Zayed Bin Al Nahyan Institute of Cardiology received an enhanced allocation of Rs2.8 billion, up from Rs2.2 billion.

To strengthen the healthcare workforce, the budget sets aside Rs1.1 billion for postgraduate and house officer training programmes and provides for the creation of 500 new positions in the health department.

Additional allocations include Rs735 million for Nawab Ghous Bakhsh Raisani Memorial Hospital in Mastung, Rs400 million each for the Burn Unit in Quetta and Prince Fahad Hospital in Dalbandin, and Rs279 million for Pakistan Oman Hospital in Pasni.

The government also allocated Rs1.5 billion to the Balochistan Nutrition Programme to address malnutrition and improve maternal and child health.

Officials said the enhanced health budget reflects the government’s commitment to improving healthcare infrastructure, expanding medical services, and addressing critical health challenges throughout the province.