Paulina Quintao – In response to accusations the Ministry of Health has no control over public doctors working as private practitioners, Minister of Health Sergio Lobo da Costa said even though this is not supposed to be taking place that it is difficult to control because of a lack of a centralized ICT system to monitor the work of all doctors in the public health sector.
Minister Lobo said According to Decree Law 13/2012, on a Special Careers Regime for health professionals, doctors are not allowed to work as private practitioners during official work hours.
The health ministry is working with the telecommunications sector to establish an ICT system to monitor the work of health professionals across the whole country.
The minister acknowledged receiving several complaints from the family of patients regarding some health professionals leaving their duty stations.
"We need an ICT system to be able to control health officials because we often don't know whether they come to work or not," said Minister Lobo during a strategic development consultative workshop for national health to improve health outcomes in Timor-Leste, held in Dili in late 2014.
He added health professionals caught by the new ICT system will receive sanctions in line with the policies stated applicable to the public service of Timor-Leste.
Meanwhile the General Director of the National Hospital Guido Valadares (HNGV) Jose Antonio Gusmao said the hospital can only prevent doctors from working in private clinics during official work hours but not during their off times.
"They are only required to stick to their official working hours of 8-5 but after 5 p.m. if they want to pursue other activities; that's up to them," said Doctor Gusmao.
He added many of the doctors currently working in private clinics have not been prevented because they only begin work after finishing their duties at the national hospital.
Nevertheless Member of the National Parliament MP Eladio Faculto believes this situation reflects a lack of control by the Ministry of Health over doctors under the special careers regime applicable to doctors contracted as public servants. "I think there is a lack of control from the Ministry of Health," MP Faculto said.