Source: Doctors Say Supplementary Budget Is Inadequate To Fund Critical Needs In Health Sector
Mthuli Ncube
Some medical practitioners have said the supplementary budget allocation to the health sector was inadequate to fund critical needs in the sector.
Finance and Economic Development minister Mthuli Ncube announced a supplementary budget on the 28th of July on the back of resurfacing macro-economic challenges. In his supplementary budget, Ncube allocated $62 billion more, adding to the original $177 billion for 2022.
Community Working Group on Health (CWGH) executive director Itai Rusike said:
Unfortunately the supplementary budget is still grossly inadequate to fund the critical needs of our health sector as it has been crafted in the context of chronic inflation.
The supplementary budget is coming at a time when the economy is mired in chronic high inflation which makes budgeting a very complicated matter. The risk is that the supplementary budget will soon be overtaken by inflationary developments rendering it inadequate.
Zimbabwe Senior Hospital Doctors Association President Shingai Nyaguse said the allocated funds do not have a significant impact considering that many hospitals are carrying “significant historical debts.”
Medical and Dental Private Practitioners of Zimbabwe president Johannes Marisa echoed the sentiments above adding that the health sector demands more resources than what the government is currently allocating considering that the sector was ravaged by the COVID-19 pandemic.
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