The Balochistan government has announced a record allocation of Rs96 billion for the health sector in its fiscal year 2026-27 budget, reflecting a 30 percent increase from the previous year’s allocation of Rs71 billion.
Presenting the provincial budget, Finance Minister Mir Shoaib Nosherwani said that healthcare remains one of the government’s top priorities due to its direct impact on public welfare and economic growth.
The allocation includes Rs6 billion for development projects and Rs90 billion for non-development expenditures, aimed at strengthening healthcare infrastructure, expanding access to medical services, and improving health outcomes across the province.
Among the key initiatives, the government has earmarked Rs1.3 billion for the establishment of a new trauma centre in Quetta to enhance emergency healthcare services. Funding for the Balochistan Health Card Program has been 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 provincial government has also increased the medicines budget by 23 percent, raising it from Rs6.9 billion to Rs8.5 billion to ensure the availability of essential drugs in public hospitals.
Specialized healthcare facilities received significant support under the new budget. Allocations include 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 in the previous fiscal year.
To strengthen the healthcare workforce, the budget allocates Rs1.1 billion for postgraduate and house officer training programmes and provides for the creation of 500 new positions in the health department.
Additional funding includes Rs735 million for Nawab Ghous Bakhsh Raisani Memorial Hospital, Rs400 million each for the Burn Unit in Quetta and Prince Fahad Hospital, and Rs279 million for Pakistan Oman Hospital.
The government has also allocated Rs1.5 billion to the Balochistan Nutrition Programme to address malnutrition and improve maternal and child health indicators across the province.
Officials stated that the increased healthcare budget reflects the government’s commitment to upgrading medical infrastructure, expanding healthcare coverage, and addressing critical health challenges throughout Balochistan.
