With health budget slashed, Pima warns of systemic impact
Association says development budget slash will hit hospitals, disease control, and medical education Prof DrAtif Hafeez Siddiqui IV Report KARACHI: The Pakistan Islamic Medical Association (Pima) has criticised the federal government’s proposed 16% cut in the budgetary allocations for the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination (NHSR&C) for the upcoming financial year, terming it "unjust" amid the country's deepening healthcare crisis. According to the budget document presented before the National Assembly on June 10, the federal allocation for the health sector has been set at Rs46.10 billion for the fiscal year 2025–26 — a significant reduction from the Rs54.87 billion allocated for 2024–25. While operational (non-development) expenditures have been increased, the development component of the health budget has suffered a major blow. The Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) budget for the NHSR&C has been slashed to Rs1...