Health Ministry: Funding will be arranged; hospitals will not come to a halt

Health Ministry, on Monday, citing there was sufficient stock to ensure the continuity of the operations of hospitals till the end of December, has said funding will be arranged if more items need to be purchased.

At a press conference on Monday Spokesperson of the President-Elect’s Office Firuzul Abdulla Khaleel, claimed hospitals were presently using the emergency stock to ensure the continuity of its services, warning that a shortage of stock could result in a halt to hospital services.

When questioned over the claim, an official from the Health Ministry said all hospitals had the stock of items required till the end of December, adding the funding required for additional purchases will be arranged as soon as the Finance Ministry approves.

“There are usually delays at the year’s end. But funding will be arranged as soon as the Finance Ministry approves,” the official said.

Despite Firuzul claiming absence of stock to ensure operations of hospitals for the remainder of the year – Health Ministry’s official confirmed there was stock to ensure the continuity of operations of hospitals till the end of December, adding approval has only been delayed with respect to the stock that needs to be purchased for the period after December.

Firuzul also said that the President-Elect’s Office has also found hospitals to have outstanding payments to foreign companies they have outsourced some of their services to.

Health Ministry’s official said the payments will be settled once the Finance Ministry approves the funding for this. The official assured the continuity of the services of hospitals, in light of this.