A debt problem which had been dogging King Faisal Hospital for seven years and was threatening the balance of the Health Ministry's budget allocation has finally been resolved.

The debts, which were amounting to over Frw 2 billion, were from unpaid TPR taxes related to salaries, employees social security contributions, FARG, SFAR and services rendered by different suppliers and venders over the years since 2005.

The problem was prominent on Monday when the Ministry of Health was meeting with the parliament's budget commission to discuss and examine how the ministry will use the budget and resources allocated to them for the financial year 2012/2013.

The human development and social cluster, which the Health Ministry is part of along with education, social protection as well as sports, youth and culture, is about Frw 451.1 billion and represents about 32.7% of the total budget.

According to the revised budget statement, some of the key projects and programs for the health sector include the establishment of a new policy for mutuelle de santé, development of programs for non-communicable diseases, construction of 7 health centers in Kigali and district hospitals for Nyabikenke, Muhororo, Rutare, Karongi and Kirehe, and capacity building for nurses and doctors through review of their training programs among others.

"We are very happy that this problem has finally come to an end," expressed Dr. Alex Butera, the director of King Faisal Hospital, rejoicing that the biggest amount of the debts was paid and what is left will also be as arrangements were made with the concerned institutions and individuals to pay them over a certain period of time not exceeding the coming financial year at the latest.

Despite the problems, the hospital had managed to generate about 6 billion in 2011/2012, but all the profits went in covering a portion of the debts. The problem had become a burden that the hospital could not solve alone and it required the intervention of different ministries concerned to clear a way.