Paulina Quintao – Lack of health posts and housing for doctors is preventing health care from reaching remote rural areas according to Deputy Health Minister Natalia de Araujo.
De Araujo added around 200 sukus out of a total 445 sukus nationwide have access to the health care while the others do not.
"We have adequate human resources be mobilized to all sukus but the problem is that some sukus don't have a health post and cannot provide housing for doctors and their families."
She acknowledged many mothers still give birth at home because they live too far from the nearest health facility. "But the Ministry is making efforts to increase the areas covered by adequate health care," said also the deputy health minister.
According to data from the 2010 Demography Health Survey some 78% of mothers were giving birth at home, with 19% receiving assistance from a traditional midwife, 61% were helped by a family member; and 15% did not get any help during while giving birth.
National Member of Parliament MP Bendita Moniz Magno said she was disappointed with the situation that women in rural continue to face with lack access to health care.
"Midwives have to assist births by candlelight. If they don't have candles they have to use their mobile phone flashlight. They also do not have access to medicines to stop bleeding," said MP Magno.
The MP also lamented the poor conditions of roads in remote areas in particular in the suku of Fatubolu, in Covalima district, where women are reported to have died because they had to give birth on the way to the nearest health post.
Meanwhile UNFPA Representative Doctor Domingas Bernando acknowledged the reality of many Timorese women, in rural areas as well as in the capital Dili who refuse to give birth at a health centre. She added distance is often a factor in preventing women from giving birth at a health centre.
Doctor Bernardo said also that many women are still ignorant of the risks to health during pregnancy and the birth of the child and continue go about their daily activities during the pregnancy rather than making time to visit a health facility.
"Mortality rates for mother and child are high and it is often because they do not know of the risks and symptoms during the pregnancy and while giving birth."
She expressed disappointment is some traditional practices that require new mothers after giving birth to sleep next to a fire as this often affects their health and that of the recent born who can develop a lung infection that then endangers the life of the recent born.