DILI, 25 september 2024 (TATOLI) – The Council of Ministers has instructed the Minister of Health, Elia A. A. dos Reis Amaral, to speed up the payment of debts owed to hospitals abroad, one in Singapore, one in Indonesia and one in Malaysia.
“Intending to resolve the payment of existing debts to hospitals abroad and guarantee the continuity of health services, the Council of Ministers instructed the Minister of Health to conduct a detailed survey of debts, payment deadlines, and the funds available to make these commitments,” said in a statement.
The Council of Ministers ordered the Health Minister to establish prioritization criteria for payments based on the urgency of the services, risks to public health, and the impact on hospital operations.
Among other measures, the Council of Ministers also instructed Minister Amaral to start negotiations with the hospitals to restructure the debts and to propose a budget reinforcement for the health sector to the Ministry of Finance.
“The implementation of these measures will be monitored by a working group established specifically for this purpose, which will have to submit regular reports to the Council of Ministers on the progress made in settling hospital debts,” read the statement.
Earlier, the Vice-Minister for Institutional Strengthening in Health, José dos Reis Magno, said that the Ministry of Health is working to ensure that the 20-dollar debts to foreign hospitals are paid off in the near future, in order to guarantee the continued treatment of Timorese patients abroad.
Journalist: Camilio de Sousa
Editor: Filomeno Martins
