Deputy Prime Minister, Fernando Lasama de Araujo, urged the Ministry of Health to strengthen the work of health centres across the country to be able to provide better health services to patients.
He said he received complaints the National Hospital Guido Valadares (HNGV) continues to get swamped with patients not requiring urgent care assistance.
“These patients should not be going to the national hospital if they are only suffering a fever, coughs and stomach aches. They should be going to the health centres,” said Deputy PM Lasama.
He added the issue is lack of adequate management so it is important to identity where the problems are at the health centres and referral hospitals and address these.
“I assume Dr. Sergio and his team are trying to find ways to strengthen the work of the health centres and referral hospitals so not every patient has to come to the national hospital.”
Meanwhile the Director of Clinical Services at the National Hospital, Aniceto Barreto, said many in the community still don’t understand the meaning of emergency services.
He said more education and information dissemination is needed in the community.
“They must understand the role of the emergency services and the health centres need to perform better,” said Director Barreto.
The Minister of Health, Dr. Sergio da Costa Lobo, said his ministry is currently evaluating all health centres in Dili to identity problems so these can be fixed.
“We will ensure the health centres are also open 24 hours a day so they can provide medical care assistance to the community,” said Minister Lobo.
He hopes this will reduce the number of patients going to the National Hospital because they will be able to go to health centres and this will allow the ministry to then focus on fixing the national hospital.
