DILI, 04 february 2025 (TATOLI) – The Siloam International Hospitals will no longer receive Timorese patients for medical treatment in Indonesia, said the National Director of Health Services Support, Carlos de Carvalho Guterres.
“Siloam Hospitals no longer accept our patients for medical treatment in Indonesia,” Carvalho said on Monday.
He said that Siloam Hospital’s refusal to accept patients from Timor Leste was due to various obstacles, but he declined to comment further on the matter.
“The total amount of Timor-Leste’s overseas treatment debt was US$9 million and the government is going to pay off the entire debt this year,” Carvalho explained.
Meanwhile, sending Timorese patients to Malaysia for medical treatment is the only option for Timorese patients as treatment in Singapore is too expensive, according to Carvalho.
“Seven patients will soon be sent for intensive medical treatment in Malaysia,” he said.
In september 2025, the Council of Ministers 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.
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.
In 2024, the Ministry of Health (MoH), through the National Health Service Support (DNSH), sent 347 patients for medical treatment abroad, including Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore
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