Dili, August 12, 2026 (Media Democracia) – Some Essential Medicines Are Out of Stock, Guido Valadares National Hospital Continues to Give Patients Prescriptions to Buy Medicine at Private Pharmacies
Because of this, patients are asking the Ministry of Health and Guido Valadares National Hospital to pay attention to medicines that are currently out of stock.
On this occasion, Esmeralda da Silva, a diabetes patient who was supposed to collect two types of medicine vitamins and diabetes medicine but they were out of stock, said the Guido Valadares National Hospital told her to come back to the hospital next week to collect the medicine.
“They told me to go buy it myself, but I don’t have money. Right now I only have one pill left and two more, should I wait until they’re all finished before coming to collect or not? Sometimes I buy them. The medicine is a tablet, $3 for one, and there are only six tablets. I usually buy them at a pharmacy in Kampu Alor and they gave me this prescription to go buy it.” said patient Esmeralda da Silva to journalists at the HNVG compound, Monday (10/08).
She said that during her treatment here, this is the first time the Guido Valadares National Hospital has given her a prescription to buy medicine at private pharmacies.
“This is the first time the medicine isn’t available. They said if next week I come back for a check-up I can collect it. With the prescription they gave me two types of medicine. I received the vitamins, but the diabetes medicine wasn’t available, that’s why they told me to come back for a check-up next week.” she explained.
She explained that during treatment at HNGV, she has had to buy medicine outside twice already because the amount given by the hospital isn’t much and she has to take it three times a day.
“I have to take this medicine three times a day, morning, noon and night. But there’s nothing I can do if I have to take it. So when I go buy it I have to buy a $3 tablet, sometimes four or five at a time. If I don’t take the medicine it’s not good, because it’s Timor’s medicine. But if we don’t take the medicine that’s here it’s not good. We just keep going to the bathroom. If we take the medicine then we’re normal as usual.” she said.
Because of this, Esmeralda da Silva recommends that the Ministry of Health and Guido Valadares National Hospital pay attention to medicines that are out of stock to guarantee them for patients who need them.
Earlier, the Director of Diagnostic and Therapeutic Support Services at HNVG, Vidal de Jesus Lopes, informed that the Guido Valadares National Hospital has stopped giving information and clarifying to the public with an information letter that the Head of the Obstetrics and Gynecology Department released, stating that elective operations would be suspended.
“Elective cases operations for these cases elective will continue as normal, not suspended, because the consumables needed for the operating room last night and today have already been supplied to the operating room to ensure the operating room continues to function, especially for elective operations.” said the Director of Diagnostic and Therapeutic Support Services at HNVG, Vidal de Jesus Lopes, to journalists at his office, Friday (07/08).
He said the reason for the stock-out was lack of internal communication, and then the Board of Directors of Guido Valadares National Hospital followed up on it.
“After that we followed up on the root of it from the people. The issue was lack of communication and then the issue was the supplier. Because the main supplier of Consumables, Medicines and reagents is INFPM, but HNVG can also do emergency purchases. So from INFPM, when there’s a stock-out they send a justification letter. There it says stock-out. Then based on that stock-out justification letter, we then ask supplier companies to bring in the consumables. That’s how the process works.” he stated.
Because Guido Valadares National Hospital cannot ask a company without a stock-out justification, a stock-out isn’t just told verbally, it has to be in writing, so that administratively it continues to follow normal procedures.
“So that we don’t commit any irregularities but still ensure patients, because patients are the priority. These are consumables that Guido Valadares National Hospital buys by itself. When they send us a justification we buy by ourselves, and then when their stock comes in they continue to sustain us.” he informed.
The current stock can guarantee for a few weeks. Then when their stock arrives, according to information, three or four containers are already at Tibar Port. We hope that INFPM can distribute them to HNVG.
“HNVG is just a user, but the large-quantity purchasing process is done by INFPM. But HNVG only does purchases for emergencies. When there’s an emergency situation and there’s a stock-out and they justify it, we do emergency buying to sustain for two or three days. After that INFPM has to continue to supply us because the law requires it.” he concluded.
Report By: Estefánia Cardoso
Photo: Estefánia Cardoso