Separate treatment, health budgets: MPs
In a bid to reduce expenditures of the Health Ministry, a group of parliamentarians suggested separating the budget of Treatment Abroad Committee from the ministry.
The MPs explained that “the spending of the committee exceeded the amounts allocated for it in the ministry’s budget by BD21 million in 2014 and the difference is being paid from the ministry’s budget.”
“The Health Ministry records showed that BD6.750m was allocated for the committee in the 2014 budget. But the committee’s expenditures exceeded BD28m. We are suggesting separating both budgets as the committee is draining the ministry’s budget off huge amounts, negatively affecting the other health care services of the ministry,” they stated.
The Financial and Economic Affairs Parliamentary Committee has approved the proposal.
Commenting on the proposal, the Finance Ministry stated in its reply to the committee inquiries, “Since the state budget for the fiscal years of 2015 and 2016 is approved, and stipulates that the committee’s budget comes under the ministry, separating both budget at this point of time wouldn’t be possible.”
Anyhow, the ministry added that it would look into the possibility of implementing the proposal while discussing the state’s budget for the next fiscal years.
On their part, the Health Ministry promised that the committee would be following certain periodic procedures that would contribute in reducing expenditures.
DT News reported on Tuesday that “the Government is considering reducing the numbers of citizens sent abroad for treatment, as part of the official cost-cutting efforts.”
The government said that it would follow several procedures to reduce the need of sending citizens abroad for treatment, such as providing more healthcare services from foreign experts and more medical disciplines in the country.
Photo Caption: The Financial and Economic Affairs Parliamentary Committee has approved the proposal
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