Pakistan approves five health projects under “Uraan Pakistan” initiative

Federal Minister for Planning, Development & Special Initiatives and Deputy Chairman Planning Commission, Ahsan Iqbal, while chairing the Central Development Working Party (CDWP) on Thursday, have approved five major health-sector projects under the Uraan Pakistan social sector drive.

Three of the projects, with a combined cost of Rs 12.524bn, were approved by CDWP, while two larger schemes worth Rs 56.823bn were referred to the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) for final approval.

Federal Minister for National Health Services, Regulation and Coordination, Mustafa Kamal,  attended the forum to support and justify the projects of his Ministry.

Among the most significant projects reviewed by Ahsan Iqbal was a revised version of the Sehat Sahulat Program, approved at a cost of Rs 40.188.216 million and forwarded to ECNEC.

The programme, part of the government’s Social Health Protection Initiative, aims to provide inpatient health insurance coverage to all permanent resident families in Islamabad, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and Gilgit-Baltistan, based on national identity records.

Officials say the scheme is designed to reduce out-of-pocket healthcare expenses and catastrophic hospitalisation costs by up to 60%, particularly for low-income and vulnerable households.

Under the revised framework, the Sehat Sahulat Program is being implemented through the development budget on a universal basis in Islamabad Capital Territory, Azad Jammu & Kashmir, and Gilgit-Baltistan, to improve overall public health outcomes.

A major goal of the initiative is to reduce out-of-pocket expenses and catastrophic health expenditures related to hospitalization by up to 60 percent , thereby strengthening social protection mechanisms for low-income households.

Chairman of CDWP, Ahsan Iqbal, stated that the program would be restored to its original focus on underprivileged and deserving families, noting that its expansion in previous years had diluted resources and reduced access for those most in need. The scheme was first launched in 2015 under the name of Prime Minister National Health Program.

Deputy Chairman Planning Commission Ahsan Iqbal, has also approved a revised health sector project titled “Establishment of Jinnah Hospital (Polyclinic (PGMI)-II) at G-11/3, Islamabad,” at a total cost of Rs. 15,948.070 million , and recommended it to the ECNEC for final approval.

Under the revised scope, the hospital’s bed capacity has been increased from 311 to 400 and will include modern IT systems, biomedical equipment, solar power systems, HVAC operation and maintenance. The project completion is now expected by June 2027.

While reviewing the project, Ahsan Iqbal expressed concern over cost escalation and called for more rigorous planning and realistic costing at the proposal stage. He also directed that a mosque be included within the approved budget.

Two revised projects were approved by the forum, including “Development of Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response System (IDSRS) with Public Health Laboratories Network (PHLN) and Workforce Development for Transition of Field Epidemiology Training & Laboratory Program (FELTP)” worth Rs. 7,484.251 million,  and “Strengthening Points of Entry and Border Health Services Pakistan, Karachi (Earlier Directorate of Central Health Establishments)” worth Rs. 2,864.982 million.

Another project worth Rs 2,174.930 million was also approved to upgrade cardiology and other departments at the Federal Government Polyclinic Hospital in Islamabad.

Ahsan Iqbal stressed that government investment in health infrastructure must translate into immediate operational readiness upon project completion, warning that delays in functionality undermine the very objective of serving the poor.

While deliberating on the IDSRS project, Deputy Chairman Planning Commission Ahsan Iqbal categorically directed the Ministry of Health that this approval constituted the final revision and that no further revisions would be entertained by the forum.