13 Jun 2003

Vanuatu health official says budget cuts will not affect service delivery

10:38 am on 13 June 2003

Vanuatu's Director of Health, Myriam Abel, says cuts in the national health budget for 2004 will not affect service delivery.

Mrs Abel was commenting after hospital personnel expressed concerns that any reduction of the health budget would mean a reduction of services to the sick.

She says the Government is worried that non productive sectors such as health and education take more money than any other ministries.

Mrs Abel says the government wants to put more money into areas such as agriculture, tourism and trade.

She says for this reason all health directorates have been asked to lay off drivers and general duty staff such as office workers.

But she says nurses, doctors and technical staff will not be affected.