In spite of budget cuts, department hatches plans

DESPITE budget cuts, the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health intends to stretch every rand to ensure improved service delivery in the 2025 and 2026 financial years.

- ZAINUL DAWOOD

Nomagugu Simelane, the KZN MEC for Health, delivered her budget speech at the KZN Provincial Legislature yesterday. Simelane stated that this financial year marked the start of a five-year strategic plan framework, which runs until 2029 and 2030 financial years.

"For the past six years, our department has faced significant budget cuts, with more than R8 billion lost to its baseline allocation. This deficit in the budget allocation leaves us struggling to meet the healthcare demands of our province in certain areas," she said.

Simelane said this had severely impacted the department's ability to fill critical posts in nursing, medicine, administrative, and allied health professions. She added that infrastructure development, including a backlog of 250 clinics, has been hindered in some areas, including the routine maintenance of some facilities.

She explained that the KZN public health inventory of assets included 69 hospitals, 22 community health centres (CHC), 589 clinics, 84 EMS bases, 33 forensic mortuaries, nursing colleges, administrative offices, and regional laundries.