A. M. 
The Treasury and Special Budget Commission received the minister of Health Francisco Alabí to learn about the destination of the funds required by this Ministry in the preliminary draft budget for the 2025 fiscal year. The minister explained that this institution requires a total amount of US$1,170,381,939, of which 8% comes from the general fund and 12% from loans and donations.
Of the funds, 50% is for the national hospitals with an amount of US$582,235,056; 27% for the First Level of Care centers with US$314,707,887; 10% for affiliated institutions such as the Instituto Salvadoreño de Rehabilitación Integral, the Fondo Solidario para la Salud and the Centro de Maternidad Nacer con Cariño “El Nido” with a total of US$118,030,582.
Another US$108,115,550.00, equivalent to 9%, will be for investment and 4% for the Secretariat of State with US$47,292,864.00.
According to the minister, of the resources, US$234,753,269.00 will be for the first level of attention, US$25,000,000 for the Integrated Health Program and another US$80,015,550 for the program Creciendo Saludables Juntos: Desarrollo Integral de la Primera Infancia en El Salvador
In addition, US$3,000,000 will be used to improve the infrastructure and equipment of the national network of hospitals and first level health units nationwide.
Albi emphasized that by 2025, priority will continue to be given to the quality of health care for the population.
“We are efficiently executing administrative and operational spending, focusing most of the resources on care for the population,” the official assured.
He said that during President Bukele’s administration and with the support of the Legislative Assembly, the budget for the health system has had an investment of US$590 million in recent years, the highest in history.
In 2019, the budget for Health was US$668.19 million and in 2021 there was the first significant increase, reaching US$1,083.3 million.
Thanks to the investment of the current government, more emergency rooms have been opened at the Zacamil Hospital, Santa Rosa de Lima Hospital, Ilobasco Hospital, Rosales Hospital and Santa Ana Hospital. In addition, the pediatric emergency room at Hospital Zacamil was opened.
