Nelspruit - The Mpumalanga provincial government on Tuesday dismissed allegations by the DA that the health department had cut down its 2014/15 budget.
“Those are pure allegations. It is unfortunate that the party wants to make a political argument about this,” said spokesman Zibonele Mncwango.
He said the provincial government had placed the health department under curatorship because it acknowledged the problems it was facing.
The department was put under curatorship as from Saturday last week.
“It is the government who acknowledged the problem and suggested that the department should be given support.”
Mncwango said the government was aware of the plans of the department and therefore would allocate an appropriate budget for it.
“It is treasury who allocates how much each department gets, and reductions are based on the plans of the department.”
He said the Democratic Alliance should address its political concerns to the ruling party not the department.
DA MPL in the province, Jane Sithole, said the department's 2014/15 budget showed that medical supplies and medicine funds had been reduced.
She said the budget for medical machinery and equipment had also been reduced. The health facilities budget had been reportedly cut down.
The party welcomed the province's decision to place the department under curatorship .
“The curatorship decision is an admission by the premier and his executive that health delivery is in crisis.”
Sapa