Health ministry earmarks N$3 billion for salaries

NAMPAWINDHOEKThe ministry of health and social services will spend N$3 267 468 000 on salaries during the 2021/2022 financial year.This is according to minister of health Dr Kalumbi Shangula, who submitted his ministry's budget for the 2021/2022 financial year for deliberation and approval in the National Assembly on Thursday.The health ministry was allocated over N$8 billion for the 2021/2022 financial year.Shangula said at least N$7 billion would be used on operational expenditure while N$360 490 000 is reserved for development expenditure.The ministry for the financial year made provision of over N$7 billion for its curative and clinical health care services programme and N$101 million for its public health programme, while N$39 million is reserved for the health system planning and management programme.A further N$22 million is allocated to the developmental social welfare programme, while N$54 million is allocated to the policy coordination and support programme.More staffShangula said the ministry recruited 3 371 staff members as part of the Covid-19 response last year, of whom 1 703 are in permanent positions and 1 668 in temporary positions.A total of 592 unemployed community health workers from nine regions were recruited with Covid-19 funding until the end of September 2021.“As part of the Covid-19 pandemic response, N$727 million was allocated and utilised according to the costed national Covid-19 preparedness and response plan,” Shangula said.The minister said during 2020 the ministry managed to increase the ratio of doctors per population from one doctor per 1 920 people to one doctor per 1 837 people, while the ratio for nurses per population also improved from one nurse per 223 people to one nurse per 220 people. For pharmacists, it improved from one pharmacist per 3 536 people to one pharmacist per 2 922 people.In terms of the ministry's key programmes to be implemented during the 2021/2022 budget year and beyond, Shangula said the ministry would focus on the recruitment of more health workers, broadening and strengthening of inpatient and outpatient healthcare services, streamlining the procurement and management of pharmaceutical and related supplies for public health facilities, and combating the Covid-19 pandemic.

Health ministry earmarks N$3 billion for salaries

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Namibian Sun 2025-07-17

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Health ministry earmarks N$3 billion for salaries

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Namibian Sun 2025-07-17

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