Several major health program launched under Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz government, have received no funding in the provincial budget for 2026-27.
According to official budget documents, the records show that no proper financial allocations have been made for a number of high profile special health initiatives, even though their total cost is estimated in billions of rupees.
These include program for dialysis, organ transplants, children’s heart surgery, cancer treatment, cardiac surgery, and stroke care. All of these initiatives were introduced to provide free or low-cost treatment for patients with serious and life threatening conditions.
Budget documents show that the total estimated cost of these program is around Rs27.847 billion. However, only Rs600,000 has been set aside under the head of Chief Minister special health initiatives for the new financial year, which is far below the required amount.
The lack of funding has raised concerns about how these program will continue. It is still unclear whether the government plans to support them through additional grants or other financial arrangements during the year.
These health schemes were launched to help poor patients who cannot afford expensive treatments like dialysis, transplants, and cancer care. Officials have not yet given a clear explanation for the missing allocations.
The Punjab Assembly is expected to review and debate the budget proposals in the coming days before giving final approval for the 2026-27 spending plan.
