Health will have 4352 million euros in 2022, 4% more than the previous year

The Basque Government will allocate 4352 million euros of next year’s budgets to the Department of Health, a 4% more than in the previous year (168.1 million euros more).

In her appearance this morning at the Finance and Budgets Committee of the Basque Parliament, the Minister of Health, Gotzone Sagardui, detailed the Budget Law Project relating to her Department for 2022.

In general terms, according to the counselor, the objective of the Department she directs is “to continue facing the pandemic, recover the normal functioning of the health system, modernize infrastructures, invest in research and achieve health without inequalities, more close and at the service of people “.

The Department of Health receives the largest amount from the Basque Government, with more than a third of the total budget. According to the counselor, 8 out of every 10 euros of the Basque Government budget is allocated to social spending and health expenditure per person stands at 1984 euros compared to 1902 euros last year, “which keeps the Basque Country in the leading positions in public spending in the entire State,” said Sagardui.

The counselor explained that they increase “considerably” the investments in Osakidetza, in the part for the socio-sanitary field, the investigation as well as the money destined to Public Health.

Geriatric care

The item dedicated to social health care in 2022 will be 35 million euros, “a figure that clearly reflects the Department’s commitment to care and social health collaboration,” according to the counselor.

This budget will be allocated to the deployment of the recently approved Euskadi Socio-Health Strategy 2021-2024, which seeks a new care model that intensifies care in the community and the home, as well as actions related to the treatment of mental disorders.

Research and innovation

“Research and innovation are crucial in a world in which scientific knowledge and new technologies are changing the medicine we have known so far,” said the Minister.

In this sense, he explained that the health research budget will grow by 15.5% and reach 25.2 million euros.

The four health research institutes (Bioaraba, Biocruces-Bizkaia, Biodonostia and Kronikgune) and the corporate head (BIOEF) will be in charge of deploying the health research actions in the Basque Country that encompass nearly 3,000 researchers.

Osakidetza

The largest item from the Health Department will go to Osakidetza, which receives 3,333.3 million euros through the program contract for the daily operation of health organizations (3.6% more than in 2021).

Of Osakidetza’s total budget, two-thirds will be dedicated to personnel costs, which this year has increased by 2.1% compared to last year’s budget. In addition, 107 million euros will be allocated to investments for the modernization and updating of infrastructures, which represents a significant increase compared to the previous year: 37 million more (53%).

There will be 53 million in works; in facilities, 17 million; in equipment, 32 million; and in computing, 5 million.

In addition, the Minister explained that a good part of Osakidetza’s growth will be carried out by Primary Care, with investments worth 20.5 million, mainly in equipment, interior works, accesses and energy efficiency.

Covid-19

The Department of Health maintains the budget directed to actions related to covid-19 with an endowment of 185.4 million euros.

Sagardui has assured that these accounts will allow to continue with the lines of action established in the Strategic Framework of the Department of Health 2021-2024 that go through “placing the person at the center of the action, for the prevention and promotion of health, for the sustainability of the health system, for the commitment of health professionals and for advancing in health research “.