Medical for Quality Healthcare in Zambia (MQHZ) has urged the ministry of Finance to allocate 17 % in the 2021 National Budget to the health sector.
Organization Director General Dr Quince Mwabu said despite the ministry having enough funds to recover from the current damage caused by Covid-19, it will need to recruit thousands of health workers next year, hence the need for the allocation of more funds.
Dr Mwabu stated that there will also be special need for the Ministry to continue on the progressive trajectory of constructing more Clinics and Hospitals across Zambia in a bid to provide quality health care to all Zambians.
“Apart from having enough funds to recover from the current damage caused by Covid-19, we expect that the Ministry of Health will need to recruit thousands of health workers next year, there will also be special need for the Ministry to continue on the progressive trajectory of constructing more Clinics and Hospitals across Zambia,” Dr Mwabu said.
He noted that reduced funding to the sector in the last three years has negatively impacted on service health delivery.
“As an organization that wants to see more funding towards the health sector for quality healthcare, we have been disappointed with continued reduction in national expenditure to the sector in the last three years,” he noted.
“For example, funding has reduced from 16.1% in 2018 to 15. 3% in 2019 and 8.8% in 2020, respectively.”
Dr Mwabu has further urged the Ministry of Health to seriously budget for the purchase and maintenance of essential medical machinery for distribution to all District health facilities in 2021, in a quest to prevent poor citizens from traveling long distances when seeking medical services.
The 2021 National Budget is expected to be presented this Friday by Finance Minister Dr Bwalya Ng’andu.