More money for doctors, nurses
22 February 2007
South Africa will spend an extra R5.3-billion over the next three years on improving the salaries of doctors and nurses and boosting recruitment levels in the public health sector.
Delivering his 2007/08 Budget speech in Cape Town on Wednesday, Finance Minister Trevor Manuel said the government planned to increase the number of healthcare workers in the country by about 30 000 over the next five years.
The Department of Health will also receive an additional R1.7-billion over the next three years for the treatment and care of people living with HIV/Aids. Last year's Budget made provision for the treatment and care of about 250 000 people living with HIV/Aids.
"We are likely to reach that figure in the next few months," Manuel told Parliament.
Manuel said spending on dedicated HIV/Aids programmes by the health, education and social development departments would exceed R5-billion by 2009/10.
South Africa's hospital revitalisation programme will also receive an extra R1-billion, taking total spending on this programme to R6.8-billion over the next three years. In addition, the sector received R1-billion for the modernisation of tertiary services, with particular emphasis on diagnostic equipment.
Source: BuaNews
