BUDGET 2021: An additional €4bn in funding for the health sector

DUBLIN: New budget to help health department during COVID-19 pandemic. An additional €4 billion has been set aside in the budget for the health department.

Additional funding for the health sector has been announced with the aim of uplifting the health service and expanding existing services to meet the challenges posed by COVID-19.

Assists in conducting one lakh tests a week, providing safety equipment to health workers, and implementing other preventive measures.

By the end of 2020, the number of ICU beds will increase to 321. The number of acute beds will increase to 1,146 by the end of 2021 and the number of sub-acute beds to 135. The number of community beds will be 1,250, including 600 new rehabilitation beds.

This health budget was welcomed by the Irish Medical Organisation. However, the IMO president Padraig McGarry said there should be a guaranteed, multi-year investment to increase the number of beds to at least 5,000 in the short term.