All the free services that are available in the health sector are becoming difficult for government.
According to Finance Minister, Colm Imbert, the $500 million that’s needed to supplement the Health Ministry’s allocation for the rest of the fiscal year is going to prove to be very challenging.
He also cited difficulties with financing the purchase of free pharmaceuticals, including in the Chronic Disease Assistance Programme (CDAP).
Imbert made the revelations during yesterday’s sitting of Parliament’s Standing Finance Committee at the Red House, Port-of-Spain.
This dealt with the supplementation to 12 divisions of the funding which they received in the 2024 Budget. The supplementation being given now totals $2,328,099,600.
The Energy Ministry received the highest supplementation—$570,800,000, while the Health Ministry received the third highest—$495,286,000. In the 2024 Budget, Health received the second-highest ministry allocation—$7.409 billion.
Imbert said,”Now the Ministry of Health already requires significant sums of money every year … another $5 million or so… It is proving quite difficult to finance the purchase of free pharmaceuticals and all the other free services that are available in the health sector. So I just want Members (of Parliament) to understand this. We believe this is important, we have to do it, but to find that $500 million is going to prove to be very difficult.”
Imbert added, “If one actually looks at what is being spent on the health sector over the years, it has been increasing exponentially.”
Imbert noted that when he was Health Minister “some 20-odd years ago”, the budget was $1 billion and in the time years since then, it had increased to over $5 billion.
“So understand: we as a country spend huge amounts of money on healthcare and it’s something we need to look at to make sure we’re getting value for money and so on,” Imbert added.
Sums allocated in the $2.3B supplementation are:
• SERVICE COMMISSIONS – $4,140,000
• TOBAGO HOUSE of ASSEMBLY – $50M
• OFFICE Of THE ATTORNEY GENERAL AND LEGAL AFFAIRS MINISTRY – $124,300,000
• EDUCATION MINISTRY – $144,200,000
• HEALTH MINISTRY – $495, 286,000
• LABOUR MINISTRY – $130,538,600
• PUBLIC UTILITIES MINISTRY – $527,800,000
• ENERGY/ENERGY INDUSTRIES MINISTRY – $570,800,000
• RURAL DEVELOPMENT AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT – $95,027,500
• WORKS AND TRANSPORT MINISTRY – $155,677,000
• FOREIGN & CARICOM AFFAIRS MINISTRY – $9,182,500.
• TOURISM, CULTURE & THE ARTS MINISTRY – $21,048,000.
TOTAL – $2,328,099,600
During questioning by UNC MP Dr Lackram Bodoe, Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh confirmed that $392 million had been outstanding to Nipdec for payment of drugs and supplemental funds being sought would provide $202.5m for part payment for the outstanding invoices for pharmaceuticals and non-pharmaceuticals. However, Deyalsingh told UNC MP Dr Rai Ragbir there has been no disruption in the provision of pharmaceuticals.
The funding covers CDAP, with $1.4 million for HPV vaccines and $555.9 million for pharmaceuticals. The breakdown of the latter included $132 million (oncology drugs), $20.6 million (HIV drugs), $40.5 million (antibiotics), $60 million (NCD drugs), $48.7 million (psychiatry), and $84.8 million (non-pharmaceuticals).
Deyalsingh said the supplemental funding will go a very long way and as invoices come in, they may carry over into another fiscal year.