The health department's budget has increased from 21,7 billion in the 2010/11 financial year to 25,7 billion in the 2011/12 financial year. This 15,3% increase was announced by health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi in his 2011 Budget Vote speech in Parliament this afternoon.
The Minister also announced additional funding of R692 million for the financial year 2012/13 and ultimately R2,276 billion in the financial year 2013/14 for the improvement of the quality of health, strengthening of primary healthcare teams and the improvement of maternal and child health in South Africa.
In his speech the health Minister also announced that the Department of Health is currently working hard in preparing the ground for the implementation of the National Health Insurance (NHI).
For us the NHI involves more than the release of the document. It involves an extensive preparation of the health system while at the same time preparing a policy document", said the health Minister. A number of measures are being pursued as part of preparing ground for the NHI and these include the re-engineering of the healthcare system according to three streams.
Regarding the burden of disease in South Africa, the health Minister expressed his concern with the increase of non-communicable diseases saying this place a huge burden on the country's health system.
Source: Department of Health
