The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government is struggling to secure the funds needed to launch an air ambulance project intended to transport patients from remote, inaccessible areas to hospitals. The project, initially scheduled for completion within four months by Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, has missed its deadline.
In April, CM Gandapur had set a four-month deadline for the air ambulance service, along with a one-month deadline for developing a new health policy to modernize the province’s healthcare system. Although funds were allocated for the project in the provincial budget, the KP finance department has yet to release them.
According to insiders, the allocated funds are expected to be used to modify the KP government’s helicopter for air ambulance purposes.
Khursheed Khan, the focal person for KP’s Air Ambulance Committee, stated that they had requested the finance department to release the funds and noted that donors are awaiting the project’s launch. He also acknowledged the support of federal and provincial institutions, as well as the Pakistan Army, in backing the air ambulance initiative.
Adviser to CM on Finance, Muzammil Aslam, said the government would release the funds promptly once the health department submits a formal summary. He further mentioned that Rs16 billion had already been disbursed to the health department over the past five months.
In addition to the air ambulance service, CM Gandapur has greenlit several healthcare projects, including the Motorbike Response Unit, Health Information and Service Delivery Unit, and Hayatabad Healthcare City. Other initiatives include the Executive Health Checkup Programme, upgrades to Tehsil Headquarters (THQ) Hospitals, and establishing fair-price pharmacies at District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospitals. The health department has also been instructed to assess public hospital needs across the province so necessary funds can be allocated in the budget.
Meanwhile, the Sindh government recently launched a free air ambulance service to transport patients from Ghotki, Sukkur, and Khairpur to Karachi, while Punjab inaugurated its first air ambulance service in July.
