Assembly approves budget allocations for health for 2023 |29 November 2022
The National Assembly yesterday approved budget allocations for three health entities namely the Ministry of Health, the Public Health Authority and the Health Care Agency.
Ministry of Health
In the morning it unanimously approved the budget for the Ministry of Health for a sum of R106,307,000 and that for the Public Health Authority for a sum of R79,609,000. Thirty one members voted in favour of the two budgets with zero abstention while no one voted against.
In her introduction, the Minister for Health, Peggy Vidot, said the increase in the budget for the Ministry of Health, which stood at R85,910,000 in 2022, is for the division for Substance Abuse, Prevention and Treatment (43%), the health secretariat (31%), the National Institute of Health and Studies (26%).
She stated that the increase is mainly for payment of 13-month salaries and the 10% increase in salaries including the construction of a health holistic treatment centre in the centre of Victoria, in partnership with a foreign partner, to address mental health and addiction from substance abuse.
Minister Vidot added that the centre, to be built next to the English River clinic, will allow the Ministry of Health to make better use of its few mental health resources available.
She stated that the ministry will also in 2023 review its strategic plan to control drugs in the country along with the revision of its rehabilitation and evaluation programmes.
The ministry was working closely with the World Bank and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), to develop a better evaluation strategy for all of the division’s rehabilitation and treatment programmes.
She noted that the Auditor General’s office is conducting an audit on the methadone
programme being offered, to better understand its strength and weaknesses to create a better programme for implementation next year (2023).
Minister Vidot also announced that two substance abuse counsellors will be stationed permanently on Praslin to serve clients on the inner islands.
With regard to the National Institute for Health & Social Studies (NIHSS), Minister Vidot said that it will move to its new location in Mont Fleuri, which is near completion.
She added that students will also change into new uniforms when they enter the new institute being constructed by Vijay Construction Ltd.
The National Assembly also heard that in 2023, the ministry will continue with its health sensitising campaign and also create and re-inforce partnerships with local and foreign partners.
Public Health Authority
When explaining the budget for the Public Health Authority – a sum of R79,609,000, which is an increase compared to that of 2022, which stood at R65,626,000 in 2022 – Minister Vidot, said that R13,110,000, will go towards Governance, Management & Administration. It will go towards salaries of nine new staff joining the authority for a cancer research programme, for a national survey on non-communicable diseases and for the purchase of equipment and reagents for Covid-19 tests, among other medical diseases that may arise in the country.
She noted that out of the R66,499,000 under the health protection and health enforcement programmes, R48,923,000, is for salary payment, R29,685,000 for materials and service while R1,000,000, is for the renovation of public health offices at the Blue Roof, Seychelles Hospital.
In her presentation, Minister Vidot said she was happy to note the efforts from the Public Health to contain the Covid-19 pandemic. There were only 11 Covid-19 cases recorded as of Sunday, which she said was an indication the virus was under control at the moment.
She noted that apart from Covid-19, the authority was also on alert to prevent other epidemics, such as Ebola and monkey pox, from entering the country.
Minister Vidot was accompanied by the principal secretary for health, Dr Bernard Valentin; the director general for the division of Substance Abuse, Prevention and Treatment, Marie-Josette Louis; the acting director for the National Institute of Health & Social Studies, Ibrahim Ally; the senior human resources officer, Majid Annette; and the financial controller, Jude Barra.
The health team was assisted by the controller general from the Ministry of Finance, National Planning and Trade, Astride Tamatave and financial analyst Liza George.
Health Care Agency
In the afternoon the National Assembly unanimously voted in favour of a sum of R1,193,496,000 allocated to the Health Care Agency (HCA).
In her introductory remark, Minister Vidot explained that the biggest sum will go towards Hospital and Specialised Services, while a sum of R219,102,000 has been allocated for Community Curative and Preventive Services. Health Support Services has been allocated R130, 524,000 and R59,192,000 is for Governance, Management & Administration.
She said the allocation will allow the HCA to implement various strategies which include “continue to deliver health service to the population at community level and in hospitals with emphasis on quality of service and one that responds to the population’s needs, reinforce the prevention approach in all our health programmes, improve service efficiency including better communication and coordination between different professional health workers and health care facilities”.
She said in line with these strategies, for next year a sum of R40,083,000 has been allocated to the new La Digue Hospital. “It should be noted that this investment is not merely about building a new hospital, but also creating an environment where health professionals can deliver more and better services, providing satisfaction for both staff and the patients, one that not only treat diseases but help Diguois to live healthier,” she added.
She informed the National Assembly that although the HCA budget is among the biggest in the country, around ten (10) percent is for the dialysis service and for overseas treatment, which represents less than one percent of the population.
The Health Care Agency is also investing R27,132,000 in the final stage of the Health Information System which the minister said was an integral part of modernising the health system, by improving the efficiency and speed with which the services operate as well as facilitate the health professionals’ work.
“It will allow our patients to not only get better health care but also improve the way they access the service, interact with health professionals and engage in their personal care,” she added.
To defend the Health Care Agency’s budget allocation, Minister Peggy Vidot was accompanied by its chief executive, Dr Danny Louange, and his deputy, Kathleen Cecile, the director general for Human Resources and Administration, Ivana Theresine and Financial Controller, Michel Brutus.
Patrick Joubert and Patsy Canaya