Dili, September 14, 2026 (Media Democracia) – Regarding the insufficient beds at the Guido Valadares National Hospital (HNGV), Health Minister Élia dos Reis Amaral said this is not a new problem but has been happening for almost many years.
Health Minister Élia dos Reis Amaral said that regarding the lack of beds at the Guido Valadares National Hospital, HNGV has already given an explanation. But the condition of the hospital is not new it has been like this for almost many years.
“We can see that the condition of the national hospital has been like this for many years. So none of us can say ‘no’ it really has been like this. What has this government done? You are all following it now. We have built a hospital for pregnant women, the construction is ongoing and we are waiting for it, so that services can run well. But you say there are no beds. The information you did cross-checking on is false, and the explanation has already been given. And when we look at the beds that exist, it’s not only at HNGV but also in the municipalities, in maternity centers and health centers,” said Health Minister Élia dos Reis Amaral to journalists after participating in the Council of Ministers meeting at the Government Palace, Friday (11/09).
She said this condition is not only at the national hospital but also at health centers and municipal health facilities.
“We know that this is not only at the national hospital, but also in primary health care. We have health facilities such as maternity centers. You can see in places like Atsabe, Turiscai we are currently improving the place to better handle emergencies,” she said.
She affirmed that the solution underway is the construction of a 4-story maternity building, which has already reached 40%.
“You can see a new hospital that was built under the previous government, and another new hospital is under construction now. It has reached 40%. But we have to wait for it to be completed. As for the beds, the hospital has already given an explanation,” she said.
Earlier, patient Felicidade da Cruz said she has been admitted to the hospital for five days because she gave birth yesterday, but there were no places.
“For five days now I myself have faced this problem. And it’s not just me many people face the same problem: there really are no places to lie down. Some are just lying outside. I gave birth yesterday, but there are no beds for mothers who gave birth, so we lie outside, just putting down a box to sleep, and then taking care of the baby,” said patient Felicidade da Cruz.
She said the baby sleeps inside while the mother sleeps outside. There really are no beds for mothers who gave birth. As a mother who just gave birth, she feels very sad when lying on the cold floor.
“If the situation is like this it could affect other illnesses like postpartum bleeding, because you just gave birth one day and then have to sleep on the floor. Because of this I recommend to the leaders, especially the government, to pay attention to the place in the maternity ward where mothers give birth. When mothers give birth, there must be beds, so that when they give birth they can lie down and take care of the baby properly,” she said.
This way both the baby and the mother can stay in good condition. If the baby and mother are not in good condition it will affect their health. Now the baby sleeps in a bed while the mother sleeps on the floor this is very dangerous for the mother’s health when she needs to breastfeed the baby.
”The service from the midwives for patients inside is good, but the slight difficulty is that there are no places to lie down, because all the prepared beds are full. I’m still sad now because I haven’t been discharged yet. I will still have to sleep on the floor. This is a big concern for patients,” she concluded.
Reporting: Octaviana Da Costa
Photo: Octaviana Da Costa