Medicine for hemophilia. Screenings for breast and cervical cancer. Caring for critically ill pregnant women.

Patient advocates and medical groups urged the state to sustain or boost funding for these programs and many others, as the Department of Public Health’s board held a hearing Tuesday seeking public input on possible budget cuts.

No one spoke in favor of cuts, but they will be hard to avoid. Gov. Nathan Deal’s Office of Planning and Budget recently ordered state agencies to propose budgets with a 3 percent spending reduction, both for the current fiscal year and in fiscal 2014.

READ THIS ARTICLE