On Monday, March 9, Health Minister Ussene Isse said he felt “ashamed” of complaints about poor service and illegal charges at health facilities in the country, acknowledging that the humanization of health services is one of the biggest challenges facing the sector.
“We have a major challenge in this cycle of governance: the great challenge has to do with the humanization, quality, and safety of our patients. This is an issue that keeps us awake at night. I am very ashamed as Minister of Health when I see poor service and illegal charges on social media. This hurts, because in health care there can be no people who treat others badly,” said the minister.
The minister was speaking in Maputo during the inauguration of the first realistic simulation laboratory for intensive care nursing techniques, where he harshly criticized behaviors considered incompatible with the ethics of the profession.
According to Ussene Isse, professionals who cause additional suffering to patients or who refuse to provide care should not remain in the sector. “Those who cause pain and suffering to others cannot be in healthcare. They have chosen the wrong profession. We all have difficulties and problems. Let’s discuss our problems, but the focus of our training is the patient, the sick person,” he said.
Government awaits clarification on alleged crisis in the sector
The statements come at a time when the health sector is facing criticism related to alleged shortages of medicines and hospital supplies in several health facilities.
On February 24, the spokesman for the Council of Ministers, Inocêncio Impissa, said that the Executive is awaiting detailed information from the Ministry of Health to assess the existence of a possible crisis in the sector and define measures.
“We have records of situations, but the minister has to present us with concrete evidence,” Impissa said, responding to questions from journalists after a Council of Ministers meeting.
The spokesman admitted that there may be cases of “misconduct” in some health facilities, but stressed that the government is awaiting concrete data from the ministry before moving forward with decisions.
Sector has been facing labor pressure for several years
In recent years, the national health system has been marked by successive labor tensions. For about four years, professionals in the sector have been staging strikes and walkouts called by the Association of United and Solidary Health Professionals of Mozambique (APSUSM), an organization that represents about 65,000 health workers from different areas.
Among the main demands are the payment of overtime and improved working conditions, including the regular provision of medicines and hospital supplies.
At the same time, the sector has also faced periods of intense pressure caused by strikes called by the Mozambican Medical Association (AMM), which is also demanding better working conditions and increased resources for the National Health System.
The authorities acknowledge that structural challenges remain, but argue that improving the quality of care and humanizing services is a priority for restoring citizens’ confidence in health institutions.
