PM: Next year’s budget places more emphasis on health sector

PRIME Minister James Marape says the 2022 budget places more focus on the Health sector than at any time before.
He said this at Bautama in Central yesterday when launching the K500 million 300-bed Central Provincial Hospital.
Marape said the cost of roads, houses, electricity and other infrastructure in the new Central city at Bautama – adjoining the hospital – would reach K700 million.
“This is a timely moment, especially on the back of us going into Parliament tomorrow (today) to pass our 2022 budget – a budget that has greater focus on health,” he said.
“Health is receiving over K2.6 billion of the K22 billion budget.
“In fact, 11.2 per cent of the total allocation. This is possibly the first time in the last 46 years that we’ve been a nation, for health to receive the allocation – ahead of education and many other sectors.
“This is a case in point that we are serious about our people’s health issues.”
Marape said Central featured prominently in the 2022 budget allocation to the health sector and this would continue next year and onwards.
“Hopefully in 2025, we will be able to come here (Bautama) again on this ground when a brand-new 300-bed hospital is delivered not just for Central but for the country.”
Marape said one good thing about the Coronavirus (Covid-19) was that it showed that the health sector was “totally deficient” in attending to the pandemic and other diseases, including only 200 intensive care unit beds.
“The Covid-19 has pointed us to the fact that we do not have the health system and capacity to handle severe outbreaks of any disease,” he said.
“I want the Central Provincial Hospital to be delivered by 2025.”