Luanda - The National Health System (SNS) needs at least 1,800 new hospitals, 600 of them in Luanda, mainly in the primary assistance network, the Health minister, Silvia Lucutuca, said during a Monday hearing in parliament.
This reinforcement, she added, is part of the strategy to improve the country's medical infrastructures.
The minister explained to parliamentarians issues regarding subsidising medicines for patients with chronic non-communicable diseases, such as hypertension and diabetes, so they have access to drugs at lower prices.
Silvia Lucutuca went on to explain that the Ministry has legally defined the tax exemption for these medicines, "and is now working with the Finance Ministry to move from the free price regime to controlled prices".
She also clarified to the MPs the situation on the implementation of public health policies and actions to combat major endemics, challenges of preventing neglected diseases, the process of implementing the principle of humanisation of health services, compliance with respect for ethics and deontology in the provision of care, among others.
The chairman of the 6th Specialised Committee of the National Assembly (parliament), Victor Kajibanga, recalled that in May 2022, a parliamentary debate was held on the training of staff in the Health sector and the main indicators that characterise the National Health System
This year, he said, a comparison of these indicators was made and the hearing came to the conclusion that "there has been a great evolution" and the recommendations based on the national report have been materialised, not in full, but mostly".
"We noted that there has been a large investment in infrastructure in the Health sector. In this respect, the parliamentarians recognised that the sector has been the one that has deserved the greatest investment. We also concluded that, as a result of this investment, care is proportionally distributed, with 71% being done in the primary sector, 24% in the secondary sector and 5% in the tertiary sector", Kajibanga said.
Victor Kajibanga said that the minister also received recommendation to continue the dialogue with social partners and trade unions, in order for them to become participants in the management of assets of the country's National Health System.
In the last five years, the government, within the framework of the Public Investment Programme (PIP) and the Integrated Intervention Programme in Municipalities (PIIM), has built 85 modern health units, 54 under the PIP and 31 under the PIIM, equipped with new technologies.
The infrastructures have increased the number of beds available in the National Health Service by more than 8,492, guaranteeing the follow-up of users from the primary level of care to the tertiary level.
At least 33,093 new professionals were hired in the Public Health Services in the Special Career and in the General Regime, with an increase of 35% of the total manpower.
The manpower in the Health sector has increased from 65,294 professionals to around 100,000 in the last two years, bringing the number of doctors to 7,715.
The National Health System currently comprises 2,644 health units, including 15 national hospitals, 25 provincial hospitals, 45 general hospitals, 170 municipal hospitals, 442 health centres, 67 mother and child centres, 1,880 health posts and 37 other facilities.
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