Member of National Parliament Bendita Magno has called on the Ministry of Health to address a Dili-wide shortage of the substance needed to diagnose dengue. 
MP Magno said the disease posed a risk to human lives, especially those of children.
She called on the Ministry of Health to solve the problem immediately with the budget approved in National Parliament.
“I went to a checkup in the health center and I meta woman holding her child whose body was already red but the health staff ordered them to go to a private clinic for a diagnosis as the health centre didn’t have the facilities,” MP Magno said in National Parliament.
MP Fernanda Lay said there was a serious dengue epidemic and preventative education was very important for communities.
The MP also asked about the program to clean areas where mosquitoes may breed.
The program was being held every Friday but is currently not operating.
National Hospital Guido Valadares (HNGV) clinic director Dr. Aniceto Barreto said HNGV had also exhausted its stocks of the dengue diagnostic agent, however private clinics still had some supplies.
He said when the agent was needed urgently, it could be bought from private clinics.
“Currently the stock is out, however the Ministry of Health is preparing to purchase some from overseas and it’s on the way.Hopefully it will arrive so we can make diagnoses,” Dr Barreto said.
He said dengue patients were continuing to present at HGNV though the number was no larger than it was in December or January.
