The original article can be found in: The Gleaner By Jovan Johnson
Despite a projected loss of over half a billion dollars, the National Health Fund (NHF), is to be called upon by the Government to provide greater support to the public health sector during the 2013-2014 financial year.
Total NHF assets are projected to decrease by $600,000,000 from $10.5 billion at the end of the 2012-2013 financial year to $9.9 billion at the end of this fiscal year.
The expected decline stems largely from the Fund’s participation in the National Debt Exchange and the transfer of almost $750,000,000 to finance projects by the Health Ministry.
Health Minister Dr Fenton Ferguson told the Standing Finance Committee of Parliament that his Ministry’s would still be relying on the by the NHF to carrying out its functions.
In the recently tabled Estimates of Expenditure, the Ministry of Health saw its recurrent budget remaining almost stagnant in nominal terms at $33 billion when compared to last year’s allocation.
Dr Ferguson has announced that he has ordered a sustainability study of the NHF.
