Maputo, 14 Aug (AIM) – The Maputo Municipal Council has announced the hiring of health professionals in order to meet the growing demand for health services in the country’s capital and reduce delays in patient care.
According to Alice de Abreu, councilor for Health in Maputo Municipal Council, speaking on Thursday, at a meeting aimed at coordinating and strengthening primary health care, “we are currently launching recruitment drives to hire staff, so we can increase the workforce at our health facilities and ensure they can improve the quality of care provided.”
Abreu explained that the shortage of human resources is one of the main challenges facing health facilities, particularly those experiencing the highest demand. However, she did not mention the number of professionals that will be hired.
“We are aware that the number of professionals relative to the demand at certain health facilities is far beyond current capacity. Therefore, the Municipality intends to reinforce health facilities with doctors, nurses, medical technicians, laboratory and pharmacy staff, and support personnel, in order to improve service delivery and operational conditions”, he said.
Regarding alleged complaints from patients concerning poor service and delays in service delivery, Abreu said that “complaints are investigated by inspection teams that visit health facilities to verify the facts and the circumstances surrounding the incidents, with a view to holding those responsible accountable.”
Another challenge highlighted by Abreu relates to infrastructure, as some health facilities have become too small to accommodate the number of patients seeking their services.
In light of this situation, the Municipality is considering the construction of new health facilities and the expansion of existing ones. Maputo currently has 35 hospitals, 30 of which are health centers. Municipal Council is responsible for managing primary health care.
She also emphasized the need to strengthen primary health care, arguing that addressing the population’s needs must begin at the community level.
The meeting also served to evaluate the sector’s performance during the first half of the year, identify key constraints, and define measures to improve service delivery during the second half.
The meeting was also held under the motto: “Strengthening primary health care to improve the quality of life in communities”, within the framework of implementing the 2024-2028 Municipal Development Plan.
(AIM)
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