12 Mar 2014

The Minister of Health, Dr John Seakgosing has presented, before Parliament, his ministry’s budget estimates of over P5 billion for the financial year 2014/15.

He said the proposed recurrent budget represented an increase of over P806 million over this year’s approved budget of over P4 billion.

Under the recurrent budget, the largest share of P3 billon would be awarded to the department of clinical services since it took the bulk of the ministry's core mandate and housed all government hospitals, primary health facilities, Central Medical Stores, National Health Laboratory, as well as maintenance of facilities, medical and surgical equipment.

Dr Seakgosing said the second largest share went to the ministry headquarters with over P603 million of the total budget, followed by the department of HIV/AIDS prevention and care at P503 423 820, which the minister said was due to the scaling down of ARV first line drug (ATRIPLA) donation by MERCK.

Dr Seakgosing said the balance of the ministry’s recurrent, budget which amounted to over P299 million of the requested budget would be allocated to the remaining four departments of public health, health sector relations and partnership, policy planning, monitoring and evaluation and health Inspectorate.

Out of the the development budget, Dr Seakgosing said P9 887 000 would be used for MoH computerisation. The computerisation programme entailed the ongoing networking and procurement of hardware for the 24-hour clinics and clinics with maternity projects, as well as the roll out of the Integrated Patient Management System (IPMS) to the districts.

“During this financial year, the system has gone live at Mmadinare, Good Hope, Thamaga and Bobonong hospitals. He said S’brana Psychiatric and Sefhare hospitals were also planned to go live shortly.

Minister Seakgosing said over P105 million had been requested to finance completion of Rakops Theatre which was 78 per cent complete, the construction of Shakawe Primary Hospital of which revised designs were at stage three. 

This amount included funds for the refurbishment of old hospitals which was not done this financial year owing to the need to include electrical, mechanical and civil structural works in the schematic drawings, he said.

Dr Seakgosing further requested for approval of P4 million for construction of staff houses in remote areas, electrification of primary health facilities as well as construction of Kachikau Clinic Phase two. Ends