Mozambique: NGO warns of “imbalance” in the distribution of funds to hospitals

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Mozambique: NGO warns of “imbalance” in the distribution of funds to hospitals

3:41 CAT | 03 Sep 2020

FILE - Maputo Central Hospital takes up more than half of the budget for all hospitals in Mozambique, central, provincial and general hospitals. [File photo: Rádio Moçambique]

The Mozambican Citizen’s Observatory for Health (OCS) is demanded better balance in the distribution of funds to hospitals in the country.

“When the sector’s funds are distributed among the various institutions, the amounts destined to provincial, central and general hospitals are shown to be quite disproportionate,” a note from the NGO sent to the media on Wednesday reads.

According to the OCS, Maputo Central Hospital, the largest health unit in the country, consumes more than half the country’s total budget for central, provincial and general hospitals.

The provinces of Nampula and Zambézia, which together have an estimated population of more than 10 million inhabitants, corresponding to one third of the country’s population, have, since 2017, received on average only 15% and 8% of the budget respectively for their central hospitals.

“The difference in the allocation of resources raises the problem of insufficient funds for the provision of health services,” the OCS warns.

The NGO said that the figures indicate that decentralisation in the health sector is “more apparent than real”, since over 80% of the funds allocated to health are concentrated at central level.

“It is necessary to assess the needs of provinces in terms of health network coverage,” the NGO recommends, pointing out that residents of Nampula and Zambézia have to travel furthest to access health care.

Source: Lusa