RESPONDING TO concerns that the health sector was struggling to deliver on its no-user-fee policy, the Bruce Golding administration has increased its allocation for health care by more than half a billion dollars in the Estimates of Expenditure.

Audley Shaw, minister of finance and the public service, tabled the Estimates of Expenditure in Parliament yesterday.

The ministry has been allocated little more than $29 billion in the 2009/2010 Budget, representing $588.3 million more than the $28,508,381 set aside, in the previous financial year, to fund the Government's free health-care initiative.

Governor General Dr Patrick Allen announced yesterday, in his maiden Throne Speech in Gordon House, that the Government would provide more resources to increase the availability of drugs.

Based on projections in the estimates, the Government is anticipating that outpatient visits to hospitals and health clinics in the South East Regional Health Authority (SERHA) will be 300,320 for the current fiscal year.

For the period April to December last year, 173,262 persons visited hospitals and health centres in the SERHA region.

The Government has indicated that it will increase the number of available beds in SERHA by 210 this year. Last year, only 2,096 beds were available in public hospitals across the region.

Grants for pharmaceuticals and medical supplies in SERHA have increased to $980 million this year, a $70-million hike.

SERHA covers Kingston, St Andrew, St Catherine and St Thomas.

Meanwhile, the Government has earmarked $7 million for the introduction of the proposed national identification system this year.

Prime Minister Golding had indicated that the Government would use this national identification system to assist the police in targeting criminals.

edmond.campbell@gleanerjm.com