Minister with responsibility for information, telecommunications and special projects, Daryl Vaz, said that Cabinet received the annual report of the National Health Fund (NHF) that showed that 404,615 persons are enrolled with the fund, an increase of 16 per cent since March 2008.

Minister Vaz was speaking at the post-Cabinet press briefing on Wednesday.

According to the report, during the year, $842 million was approved for institutional projects. Of this amount, $763.37 million was approved for new projects and $78.65 million for existing projects.

The NHF, which was established five years ago, provides many vital medications free of cost in the public-health sector as well as subsidises the cost of other medications.