DILI, 29 september 2021 (TATOLI) – Around 238,767 households and 1,114,000 of the population at individual level have been accessed to the Health in the Family program (saude na familia) from the Ministry of Health since the launch of the Program on the 22nd of July 2015, The Director from the Department of Health in the family program, Vitor Soares Martins relvealed today.
“The current population of Timor-Leste is 1,350,014 from a total of 300,000 households, of the total number of population, 1,114,000 from 238,767 households have been registered in the MoH program called”Saude na Familia or Family Health” while the remained are 20% which is also equal to 77.200 families and 386.000 households,” Vitor Soares Martins commented on the workshop held in Delta Novo today.
Martins said, “Saude na Familia/Family Health” program had operated in Timor Leste since 2015 to visit the population and provide treatment to the population directly in their houses.
“The key important used in the program are visit domiciliary, participatory diagnostic, Electronic health registration including monitoring and evaluation,”
According to Martins, the health team has been running this program across municipalities, however, the team is yet to reach its 100% target due to some limitations.
“Saude na Familia had covered all municipalities levels to provide the treatment to the patients, however, the remaining is still 20% population due to some limitation and difficulties faced by the team, i.e the distance, location, and staff limitation,” he clarified.
According to Martins, the program has been halted due to the government enforce the lockdown to deal with covid-19, saying the Department of Saude na Familia will resume the program activities after conducting an evaluation.
“After the government lifted the lockdown and sanitary fence in all territories, MoH the Department wish to resume this program, yet before resuming the program especially in the remote areas the evaluation must be done firsts to know the progress and the challenges, therefore today the department organizes the workshop to invite all the health municipal Directors together to evaluate this program”Saude na Familia/Family Health” program which has been implemented earlier,” he said.
At the Same place, the Advisor of “Saude na Familia”, Luis Lobato said, that today’s workshop is important to restart again this program.
“The workshop is important because the Department wishes to accumulate the ideas from all the Head from local hospitals and deliver to the Ministry of Health to find a solution for the continuation of this program,” he said.
Since the remaining is 20%, therefore, he said the Ministry of Health will hire more medical staff to cover the program of “Saude na Familia” in Timor Leste.
“saúde na família” program is a national program established by 5th Constitutional Government by improving people’s healths across 2.225 villages in the national territory.
This program, which sends medical teams comprised of a doctor, midwife and nurse to every household in the nation is transforming primary health care in Timor-Leste.
Journalist : Camilio de Sousa
Editor: Nelia Borges
