Proposal to increase funding for projects under the Health - Population Target Program
(Baonghean.vn) - Being a poor province, Nghe An has encountered many difficulties in allocating counterpart funds. Nghe An Department of Health has proposed that the Central Government increase funding and provide clear guidelines on the use of budget sources for the Health - Population Target Program.
On the afternoon of June 24, the Ministry of Health's working delegation had a working session with the Nghe An Department of Health to inspect and monitor the implementation of the Health - Population Target Program of Nghe An province. Also attending were representatives of the Ministry of Planning and Investment, relevant departments, offices, institutes and sectors.
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| Overview of the working session. Photo: Thanh Chung. |
At the meeting, representatives of hospitals and medical centers of Nghe An province raised difficulties and shortcomings in the process of implementing projects of the Health - Population Target Program for the period 2016-2020. Opinions focused on difficulties in disbursing funds according to Circular 26/2018 of the Ministry of Finance.
Circular 26 clearly stipulates the central budget expenditure and the local counterpart. However, Nghe An's budget is difficult, so the local budget balance to implement the program has not been much, in which the period 2016-2018 had almost no balance from the local budget.
In addition, the village health care system has been cut and reduced; many malaria prevention and control projects, support for localities located in key epidemic areas, areas at risk of outbreaks... do not have specific and clear instructions, so the units performing the spending tasks do not dare to spend.
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| Lack of funding makes child malnutrition prevention and control activities difficult. Photo: Thanh Chung |
Nghe An Department of Health proposed that relevant units increase funding for activities and projects under the Health - Population Target Program to facilitate these activities at the grassroots level; the Ministry of Finance amended Circular 26/2018 to allow localities to use it to spend on activities under the program.
The working group of the Ministry of Health has noted the suggestions of Nghe An and will send them to departments, bureaus and higher levels in order to propose solutions to implement the Health - Population Target Program in a more feasible way in the coming time.
