More than half of the money allocated to Ministry of Health in the 2013 national budget for Eastern Province released.

About 70 per cent of the 54.9 million Kwacha 2013 budget allocated to the Ministry of Health in Eastern Province has so far been released.
Provincial Medical Director, Dr. Kennedy Malama says that 9 million Kwacha was allocated to infrastructure development that includes construction of Chipata, Lundazi and Nyimba district hospitals.
Dr. Malama also says that the Ministry of Health in Eastern Province owes health workers about 17 million Kwacha in unsettled various allowances.
Speaking when he featured on a live Budget Tracking Programme on Breeze FM on Tuesday, Dr. Malama however, pointed out that government is committed to paying this debt.
And Dr. Malama says that shortage of health staff, lack of transport and increase in non-communicable diseases is among the challenges faced by Ministry of Health in Eastern Province.
He says that the human resource situation currently stands at 78 per cent.