CONFUSION REGARDING PROCUREMENT OF MEDICATION

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Jornal Independente - Wednesday, 15 May 2013

Health Minister Sergio Lobo is suspected of using his position to benefit himself from a government contract. On Tuesday last (14 April).

During a plenary session of the National Parliament, a number of Deputies accused the Health Minister of giving a contract to import pharmaceutical supplied to his own company, Istana Farmacia.

The head of the Democratic Party bench, Maria Lurdes Bessa asked the Health Minister to explain a contract to buy medication. Ms Bessa was perplexed as to why the Health Ministry involved the company Istana Farmacia in the contract to buy medicine.

Based on the information obtained by her, the contract was signed in just one day, with the contract first contract involving almost US$700,000.00 with the second contract being signed with Istana Farmacia.

“Our doubts are that shortly after these pharmaceutical supplies were imported, not long after there were none left, so we want an explanation regarding these two contracts,” she questioned. The Minister rejected the Deputies’ accusations in the answers he gave.

He said that before becoming a member of government he was the owner of the company Istana Farmacia, but resigned after becoming Minister.

“I do not have a company, just go and check with the Ministry of Justice whether I have a company. So because of this I am a little unhappy with the information provided by the Deputies,” he said.

These accusations against the Health Minister have arisen also because of suspicions as to why there is a shortage of medication at the national hospital but the private clinics are well supplied. In the meantime FRETILIN deputy Ilda da Conceicao complained of doctors at the hospitals who are writing out prescriptions for medication to patients to buy at private clinics.

“Many patients have brought their concerns to us that they were passed prescriptions at the national hospital for them to buy at private clinics because the hospital does not have them,” she said. She asked the Health Ministry to make a greater effort to control doctors at the Guido Valadares National Hospital so as to better distribute medication throughout the whole country.

The Minister said that he had not heard of this, and assured everyone that the RDTL Constitution guaranteed a free health system.

“But perhaps if there may be some doctors who do this, I ask patients to bring the prescriptions to me, so I can take action against these doctors, as patients should not be scared to give me such information,” Lobo said.

Similarly, an Australian nurse working with a health NGO reported that last week she took three patients to the Baucau Hospital for treatment, but the hospital was unable to help them for lack of medication. 

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