National Member of Parliament MP Paulino Monteiro Soares Babo made claims that lack of experience lead to deaths, against the newly Timorese medical graduates from the Cuban medical program.
“Our new medics should be mentored by more senior doctors because many people have fallen victim already,” said the MP.
MP Babo called on the Ministry of Health to take this situation into serious consideration.
“Last month one case took place. A new doctor helped deliver a newborn. The baby drank the placenta fluid and rather than pumping it out the doctor pumped even more in. The baby died immediately.”
The MP claimed this has happened more than once already because the doctors may have the knowledge but lack hands on experience.
Doctor Domingas Bernar-do, the country representative from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) said the issue needs to be addressed by all relevant ministries in the Timorese government.
“All of us need to remind the government to pay attention to the 1000 new medics and that is because the curriculum given to them in Cuba is focused on prevention and on home visits rather than on clinical work. This is the part where they need support,” said also Dr. Bernardo.
She added that situations as mentioned by the MP may be caused by other factors as well including lack of medicines, equipment and also lack of skill to provide adequate health care assistance to patients.
