Better health care in remote areas under new budget
Better health care in remote areas under new budget
Myanmar Times, 14 Feb 2017
URL: http://www.mmtimes.com/index.php/national-news/yangon/24924-better-health-care-in-remote-areas-under-new-budget.html
Health care for people in remote and hard to reach areas will be one of the priorities under the over K1000 billion budget allocation for health in the 2017-18 fiscal year, said Permanent Secretary of Ministry of Health and Sports Professor Dr Thet Khaing Win.
He said the other areas of focus under the health allocation will be the construction of new hospitals and housing for hospital staff and health workers, upgrading of facilities and medical equipment at existing hospitals and procurement of medicines.
“The plan has been drafted for effective and systematic utilization of the funds. Upgrading of medical equipment at hospitals, procurement of new equipment and replenishment will be conducted as required.
“Assistance programs for remote and hard to access areas are also included,” said Professor Dr Thet Khaing Win.
The health budget for 2017-18 fiscal year is over K1077 billion, higher than the K850 billion allocated in 2016-17 budget, he added.
The health allocation will be utilized strictly in line with the Health and Sports Ministry’s five-year (2017-2021) national health plan, said Professor Dr Thet Khaing Win.
It is learnt that more health workers, especially midwives and public health supervisors, will be employed from next month to reach remote areas and interviews are being conducted.
Professor Dr Thet Khaing Win said in addition, a financial assistance program for pregnant women in the remote Chin State is being jointly conducted by the Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement and Livelihoods and Food Security Trust Fund (LIFT).
Under the program, midwives from Ministry of Health and Sports help give out K15,000 per month to pregnant women until their children reach the age of two years.
More similar financial assistance programs under the Union budget will be extended to Naga areas and Rakhine State in the coming year, said Professor Dr Thet Khaing Win.
He said the other areas of focus under the health allocation will be the construction of new hospitals and housing for hospital staff and health workers, upgrading of facilities and medical equipment at existing hospitals and procurement of medicines.
“The plan has been drafted for effective and systematic utilization of the funds. Upgrading of medical equipment at hospitals, procurement of new equipment and replenishment will be conducted as required.
“Assistance programs for remote and hard to access areas are also included,” said Professor Dr Thet Khaing Win.
The health budget for 2017-18 fiscal year is over K1077 billion, higher than the K850 billion allocated in 2016-17 budget, he added.
The health allocation will be utilized strictly in line with the Health and Sports Ministry’s five-year (2017-2021) national health plan, said Professor Dr Thet Khaing Win.
It is learnt that more health workers, especially midwives and public health supervisors, will be employed from next month to reach remote areas and interviews are being conducted.
Professor Dr Thet Khaing Win said in addition, a financial assistance program for pregnant women in the remote Chin State is being jointly conducted by the Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement and Livelihoods and Food Security Trust Fund (LIFT).
Under the program, midwives from Ministry of Health and Sports help give out K15,000 per month to pregnant women until their children reach the age of two years.
More similar financial assistance programs under the Union budget will be extended to Naga areas and Rakhine State in the coming year, said Professor Dr Thet Khaing Win.