07 Mar 2019

Government is devoted to expanding health systems based on strong community and primary health care, health and wellness minister, Dr Alfred Madigele has said.

Presenting his ministry’s 2019/2020 budget proposals, Dr Madigele said deliverance of integrated health services needed consolidated efforts from stakeholders and therefore pleaded with Parliament to approve the proposed P8.2 billion ministerial budget for 2019/2020 financial year.

Dr Madigele highlighted that of the overall proposed budget, P7.6 billion was for the recurrent while P594 million would be allocated to the development budget proposal.

He said P6.3 billion was proposed for the department of Health Services Management.

This huge allocation of 82.8 per cent, he said wads necessary to enable the department to coordinate and facilitate operations of all government hospitals, clinics, primary care facilities, central medical stores and national health laboratory.

He said the second largest share of the recurrent budget proposal of P844.6 million which amounted to 11.8 per cent of the budget was proposed for ministry headquarters, with major items including medical aid subscriptions for all civil servants and pensioners, replacement and maintenance of vehicles and the running of health sciences.

Regarding the largest share of development budget, Dr Madigele proposed that 99.93 per cent of the budget proposals be allocated to hospital services and primary health care services with both department being allocated P381.5 million and P212.5 million respectively.

He proposed that 64.18 per cent of the budget be allocated to hospital services for the construction of two new hospitals in Shakawe and Moshupa, designed phase of upgrading Selibe Phikwe district hospital, upgrading of Gumare and Tutume primary hospitals and staff housing units.

A portion of those funds, he said, would be utilised to cover for quality information management system projects.

Dr Madigele further proposed that the Primary Health Care Services programme would get P212.5 million for upgrading health posts and clinics in Kachikau, Sepopa, Makgopana in Mochudi, Ngarange, Kauxwi, Dibete and D’kar as well as a new clinic without maternity wing in Toteng.

To enhance public health response, Dr Madigele said the ministry was in the process of establishing a national public health institute which would include surveillance of diseases, injuries, epidemiological investigations of health problems and public health research and emergencies.

He added that the national health quality standards had been developed as they provided a yardstick for measuring performance of health facilities.

Furthermore, Dr Madigele decried shortage of medicines and related supplies mainly due to poor data collection, inefficient logistics and inadequate skilled personnel in some health facilities.

He however indicated that his ministry was in the process of installing an electronic information management system (e-Pulse) which would ultimately improve the management of stock levels at facilities.

Minister Madigele emphasised that as part of general improvement to supply chain management, the ministry was also reviewing distribution and disposal guidelines to manage wastage and engage with partners on contract management as well as conducting targeted and planned engagement meeting with customers and stakeholders. Ends