Gauteng’s budget for HIV and Aids was increased by 47,8% to R515,4-million for the coming financial year, provincial minister of health Brian Hlongwa said on Monday.
”This confirms our unwavering commitment to ensure that we bring this epidemic under control,” he said.
Hlongwa tabled the provincial health budget of R10,4-billion in the Gauteng legislature in Johannesburg on Monday.
Referring to the province’s management and treatment programme for HIV/Aids patients, he said that in the past year, more that 350 000 patients had been assessed and over 41 000 had started treatment.
”In the coming year this will be expanded to hospitals, community health centres and all sub-districts.
”By the end of the year there will be 54 operational sites with an estimated 60 000 patients receiving anti-retroviral therapy,” said Hlongwa.
He said in the coming year the department will continue to strongly focus on children and maternal health issues.
”We will have to double our efforts to strengthen the health status of women, and to improve our capacity to deal with issues of gender violence, physical and sexual abuse,” he said.
Hlongwa said it is unacceptable for the sick to wait in long queues to receive medical attention or to tolerate unhygienic conditions in provincial hospitals.
”We don’t need extra budgets to ensure that patients are treated with respect and adequately informed about the nature of their ailments and treatment prescribed, because those are basic non-negotiable elements of any health-care facility.”
Hlongwa said the department hopes to recruit and retain 2 300 health professionals by the end of the financial year.
About R362-million will be allocated towards emergency health services and R944-million towards capital projects, including machinery and equipment.
The budget for psychiatric hospitals has been increased by 4,9% to R488-million.
”A new oncology unit that will provide cancer treatment is being constructed and equipped at the Johannesburg Hospital at a cost of R178-million,” said Hlongwa.
Five new primary health-care facilities will be opened in the next two months in the province. — Sapa