KARACHI - The Sindh budget for the fiscal year 2018-19 witnessed an increase in education and health sectors with Rs 208.23 billion allocated for education sector showing an increase of 14.67 percent from the outgoing fiscal year while the health budget showed an increase of 13.6 percent from previous year with Rs 96.38billion allocation for FY2017-18.

EDUCATION

As per the statics the next year‘s allocation of Rs 208.23 billion for education sector includes shares for higher education, technical education, special education and medical education. Sindh government has allocated a large share of the budget for education sector that is about 27 per cent of the provincial budget.

The key facts shows that rehabilitation and expansion of 4560 will be maintain through 57 ongoing schemes with allocation of Rs8.69billion. Cadet College at Karampur-Kashmore-Kandhkot has been allocated Rs 258 million against an ongoing scheme under the provincial ADP. Under the existing scheme government has made possible establishment of Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto University of Law at Karachi by provision of Rs 250 million whereas Rs 125 million allocated for up gradation of Jinnah Sindh Medical University-Karachi.

Furthermore, the ADP allocation for education sector excluding the new schemes have been kept to Rs 24.4 billion, that includes Rs 3.2 billon kept for Board and Universities, Rs 958.5 million for STEVTA and Rs 200 million for Special education, Rs 5 billion for college education and Rs 15 billion for school education. Beside provincial ADP Rs 3billion have been allocated for foreign funded projects of education department.

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, who also holds the portfolio of Provincial Finance Minister while presenting the budget, underlined that government is fully committed to provide quality education and in this budget allocation of education sector is Rs178.70 billion. The non-development budget of Education has been increased from Rs.178.70 billion to a total of Rs.205.739 billion in next financial year 2018-19.

Giving details of development side, CM Murad said that Rs 24.4 billion are allocated in ADP 2018-19, for 309 ongoing schemes only, whereas new schemes of education sector would be accommodated under the provision of Rs.50.00 billion earmarked separately as ‘Block Allocation’ for new schemes for all sectors in ADP 2018-19, Rs.11.250 billion were allocated for different development schemes and ‘996’ units against 167 schemes would be completed by June 2018.

Nine schools under JICA and 22 schools under USAID Projects would be completed by June 2018. 15 more English medium schools in the districts Shaheed Benazirabad, Sukkur, Larkana, Thatta, Badin, Sujawal, Jamshoro, Noshero Feroze, Sanghar, Khairpur, Ghotki, Mirpurkhas, Matiari, T M Khan and Tando Allahyar have been completed.

He said six Comprehensive High Schools in districts Thatta, Sujawal, Badin, Jamshoro, Mirpurkhas and Umerkot will be completed by June 2018. He said Rs.4.9billion are tagged for School Specific budget for furniture, stationery, travelling and other heads. He said 23 out of 33 schools have been re-constructed where 7,000 additional students would be facilitated.

He said that Rs.1.2billion kept for students’ securing A-1 grade in SSC and HSC in Sindh. 25 schools with Cambridge system (nursery to O level) and 25 schools with Comprehensive high school are being established across the province. 

CM Murad Shah said that the ADP allocation for Education Sector (for on-going schemes) has been kept to Rs.24.4 billion and beside provincial ADP, Rs.3 billion have been allocated for foreign funded projects of education department.  He added that rehabilitation and expansion of 4,560 schools will be continued through 57 on-going schemes from Rs.8.69 billion. We are proposing an allocation of Rs.9.598 billion in the budget of Sindh Education Foundation for the next financial year 2018-19 as against Rs.8.085 billion kept during CFY 2017-18 said CM Sindh.

He said that for College Education an allocation of Rs.5000.000 million has been proposed for ADP 2018-19 for 48 on-going schemes with different interventions. The schemes are 11 new degree colleges would be established in districts Hyderabad, Korangi, Malir, Karachi West, Umerkot, Sukkur, Jamshoro, Shikarpur, Jacobabad one in each and two in Sanghar. Law College at Sukkur and 5 IBA Community Colleges will be established at Naushero-Feroze, Sukkur, Jacobabad, Dadu and Umerkot.

Construction/re-construction/rehabilitation/missing facilities/repair and renovation of existing colleges will be carried out located in districts. New furniture will be provided in the existing degree colleges almost all over Sindh. The allocation for Special Education is Rs 1,117.253 million, including Rs 213 million on development side, and Rs 904.253 million on non-development side, said CM Murad.

HEALTH

Health sector has witnessed a significant increase of 13.6 per cent as Rs 96.38 billion allocated in the next fiscal year.

As per the statics of the sixth annual budget of province allocation for the purchase of drugs and medicines has been increased by 20 per cent from Rs 7.9 billion to Rs 9.5 billion. Funds for Public Private Partnership (PPP) mode are enhanced from Rs 697 million to Rs 2.3 billion with an increase of 230 per cent. 112 per cent increase has also viewed for the reduction of stunting and malnutrition, Accelerated Action Plan (AAP) is increased from Rs 2.4 billion to Rs 5.1 billion.

The government also earmarked Rs 250miilion for the construction of new OPD building at Lady Dufferin Hospital - the largest women hospital of Pakistan. As many as Rs 220 million allocated for Chemical and Biological Sciences and DNA laboratory while Rs370 has been kept for the treatment of Blood Cancer Patients.

The government allocated Rs 80 million for Fatimid Foundation to provide blood transfusion services at various centres in Sindh province. At least Rs 70 million allocated for Layton Rahmatullah Benevolent Trust (LRBT) to counter the blindness and impaired vision in province. The statics further states Rs 365 million has been allocated for Sindh Health Care Commission and Rs 58 million has been kept for strengthening of Model Addiction Treatment and Rehabilitations Centers. Provincial government enhancing the funds for Child Life Foundation by 94 per cent has increased resources from Rs 400 to Rs 775 million.

Budget for NICVD has been enhanced by 54 per cent from Rs 5.8 billion to Rs 8.9 billion whereas Rs 5.6 billion has been kept for Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation (SIUT). Allocation for Pir Qadir Shah Jeelani institute of Medical Sciences, GAMBAT has been increased by 33 per cent from Rs1.5 billion to Rs 2.0 billion.

Mentioning important schemes in health sector for next fiscal year during budget speech Sindh Chief Minister on Assembly floor mentioned that government giving priority to Health has engaged private sector for operation and management of health facilities at Primary and Secondary level. He said 1,213 health facilities have been outsourced on performance based management contract, which include 1,049 facilities to PPHI and 158 facilities outsourced to some other NGOs (108 Integrated Health Services, 35 HANDS, 01 Indus Hospital, 13 Medical Emergency Relief Foundation, 01 Poverty Eradication Initiative).

CM Murad further informed that two Regional Blood Transfusion Centers at Sukkur and Jamshoro have been outsourced to Sukkur Blood Bank and Indus Hospital, respectively.

He said Government of Sindh is providing Rs.5.59 billion to SIUT as a grant in next financial year (2018-19). It includes establishment of SUIT at Larkana with an allocation of Rs.497.5 million. SIUT has already established SIUT-Sukkur Chapter with an investment of Rs.552.27 million. This institute has been functionalized to provide affordable OPD, Diagnostic, Dialysis and other specialized services. Bone Marrow Transplantation Unit in SIUT at the cost of Rs.692.779 million, which is equipped with state of the art infrastructure and facilities, benefiting 50-100 patients, he added.

Syed Murad Ali Shah said that as per PPP agreement Child Life Foundation has been tasked to manage children rooms in three government hospitals which include Dr Ruth Pfau Civil Hospital Karachi, National Institute of Child Health, Sindh Government Hospital Korangi-5. Furthermore same organization will start operations at two more emergency services in Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, Karachi and Lyari General Hospital, Karachi whereas by June this year Child Life Foundation will start ER operations in two more facilities at Peoples Medical College, Nawabshah and Chandka Medical College, Larkana.

He said that by the end of 2018, Children ERs would also become functional at Ghulam Muhammad Mahar Medical College, Sukkur and Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences, Jamshoro.