'Boost' for E Cape health
2005-03-04 13:00
Cape Town - The Eastern Cape health department has welcomed allocations in Friday's provincial budget aimed at combatting the shortage of health professionals.
"This is a huge boost," said spokesperson Sizwe Kupelo, reacting to finance MEC Billy Nel's announcement that R56.8m has been set aside to attract doctors, nurses and dentists to rural areas.
Another R44m had been earmarked to fill critical health posts throughout the province, Kupelo said, and R337m to "health science" and training, which would also help combat the shortage of professionals.
Kupelo said the department intended raising the salary of community service doctors from R130 000 a year to R160 000 to compete with the pay offered by other provinces.
He said there was a R100m increase in the province's budget allocation to fight HIV/Aids and tuberculosis to R233m, and R157m for revitalising infrastructure, including ageing hospitals.
The whole health budget would increase from R5.2bn in 2004/05 to R6b.
- SAPA