No shortage of funds for Health Ministry – Prof. Prasad

There is no shortage of funds for the Ministry of Health to ensure that all the services and equipment are available in the hospitals.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Professor Biman Prasad highlighted this to the media when questioned on the radiology and pharmacy services closing at 4.30pm daily at the CWM Hospital after a circular from the Ministry of Civil Service on no overtime to be paid for those under salary scale Band F and above.

Professor Prasad says that is something that the Ministry of Health must sort out with the Ministry of Civil Service, and he does not think it is a difficult issue.

When questioned about not paying overtime so staff should take Time-off-in-Lieu, he says it is not a question of funding not being available, so he expects them to sort that out.

The Ministry of Health says if there is an emergency, patients will get sent to offsite private facilities for radiology services.

Prof. Prasad says the Ministry of Health should sort this out with the Ministry of Civil Service.

He says they expect the Ministry of Health to ensure that the resources are there and if there are processes and procedures, then that is something that the Ministry of Health should work out with the Ministry of Civil Service.

Prof. Prasad say they do not expect difficulty in terms of the funding that is available, because the Ministry of Health has always had, at least in the last two budgets, more than adequate funding to ensure that all these services are provided on time.