KP Govt expands health budget to Rs274bn, treats over 1.08mln: Shafi Jan

PESHAWAR, Apr 03 (APP):Highlighting a sharp increase in the health budget to Rs274 billion, treatment of over 1.08 million patients under the Sehat Sahulat Programme, and notable improvement in the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Index, Special Assistant to the Chief Minister on Information Shafi Jan, along with Provincial Health Minister Khaliq-ur-Rehman, on Friday briefed the media on key reforms and progress in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s health sector.

Shafi Jan said the provincial government was undertaking practical steps to improve healthcare delivery and had placed the health sector among its top priorities.

He noted that the health budget had significantly increased since 2013, rising from Rs30.3 billion to around Rs275 billion, while Rs274 billion had been allocated for the fiscal year.

He said the flagship Sehat Sahulat Programme now covered the entire population of the province. From January to November 2025, more than 1.085 million patients were treated at a cost of Rs31.6 billion.

Providing a breakdown, he said 64 percent of patients were treated in public hospitals and 31 percent in private facilities, terming it a reflection of growing public trust in government hospitals.

The government, he added, was also facilitating expensive and complex treatments. So far, 35 liver transplants had been carried out costing Rs190 million, 117 kidney transplants at Rs194 million, and 175 cochlear implant procedures at Rs440 million.

Shafi Jan further said that 200 Basic Health Units (BHUs) and 50 Rural Health Centres (RHCs) were being upgraded into BEmONC centres to ensure maternal and emergency healthcare at the local level, while rehabilitation of 89 flood-affected health facilities was also underway.

To overcome staff shortages, he said 432 doctors and specialists had been recruited, while hiring for 1,425 medical officers, 250 dental surgeons, and 764 nurses was in progress.

Overall, more than 22,000 new posts had been created in the health sector, increasing the number of medical officers from 2,520 to 6,531, he added.

Highlighting governance reforms, he said a roadmap comprising 48 key initiatives had been developed, with 141 sub-actions already completed.

Digital records of over 91,000 employees had also been compiled.

He said modern systems including e-filing, biometric attendance, and medicine ordering portals had been introduced to enhance transparency and efficiency.

Shafi Jan reiterated the government’s commitment to further strengthen the healthcare system to ensure quality, timely, and accessible medical services for all citizens.