Deputy Chairperson, I just want to say that as far as the NHI is concerned, it is not just an important document that everybody is waiting for. There is the preparedness of the health care sector, and we are busy preparing it.

Why do we need to prepare the health care sector? It is because the present health care system can be characterised by four clearly identifiable negatives. It is unsustainable, it is very destructive, it is extremely costly, and it is hospicentric or curative.

We need to change it to primary health care. We have three methods of primary health care engineering which we are involved in. There is a school health system which we are going to implement, a district health system by clinicians and, lastly, the ward-based primary health care system, in which we want to put at least ten primary health care workers in a ward.

Other countries have done more than us. Brazil has 30 000 primary health care workers. India has 800 000 primary health care workers distributed in the villages. In South Africa we want to put in only 40 000.

Deputy Chairperson, regarding the issue of workforce development and human resources, HR, we will have completed our HR strategy by August. Suffice it to say that for now we are producing only 1 200 doctors per annum in our 8 medical schools. That is why the President announced that we needed to build a ninth medical school, in Limpopo. Plans are afoot, but we are also going to improve hospitals and have five mega hospitals to make sure that the intake of medical students increases.

Hon Deputy Chairperson, allow me then to present the budget to you. It has increased by 15% from R21,7 billion in 2010-11 to R25,7 billion in 2011-12. At the national level an additional amount of R422 million was allocated for 2011-12 and R692 million for 2012-13. I wish to take this opportunity to present this budget of the Department of Health for the financial year 2011-12, amounting to R25 731 554 000 - without the three extra noughts it is R25,7 million! - to the Council for adoption.

In conclusion, I want to thank numerous people. These are the President, the Deputy President who is also the President of the SA National Aids Council, Sanac, the Minister of Finance and the Cabinet for their understanding. I also want to thank my colleague, the Deputy Minister of Health, Dr Gwen Ramokgopa. We have complemented each other very well and I wish my colleague to continue in this way.

I also wish to thank the director-general, DG, of the department for steering the ship through very rough waters. I thank the chairperson of the portfolio committee and the Social Development chairperson in this honourable House for the way in which we have worked together. I wish this to continue so that South Africans have "a long and healthy life". Thank you. [Applause.]