The Gauteng Department of Health and Social Development predicted on Wednesday that it will overspend its budget by R1.15-billion.

Accruals from the previous financial year and bills for this year had resulted in 25 percent over-expenditure in the first quarter, said departmental spokesperson Mandla Sidu.

"Expenditure remains the main challenge and the department is expecting an over-expenditure," he said in a statement after the department briefed the provincial legislature on its progress between April and June 2010 in implementing a programme of action.

The over-expenditure was on human resources.

Sidu said the department had employed more than 400 health professionals in the three-month period under review and deployed more than 1900 medical interns and community services doctors and nurses to hospitals and clinics.

It had also filled posts for 27 social workers, four nurses and 35 administrators in the social services sector.

The oral health team had increased its visits to schools, introducing more than 80 000 school children to the brushing teeth programme.

He said that despite the financial challenges the department was making progress in HIV testing and the tuberculosis (TB) cure rate.

"The percentage of patients agreeing to be tested for HIV after counselling has increased to 95 percent (and) 85 percent of HIV-positive pregnant women are accessing ante-natal care, including the prophylaxis to prevent babies from getting HIV.

"The TB cure rate has increased to 79.4 percent and 99 percent of sputa results are received within 48-hours, leading to early diagnosis and treatment."