Despite facing budgetary constraints, Maputo Central Hospital (HCM), the largest health unit in Mozambique, on Friday guaranteed that it has enough food, in quantity and quality, for all its patients.This promise was made by the HCM administrator, Zacarias Zindoga, at a press conference called in response to rumours that patients are going hungry in the hospital.“Our budget is not sufficient for all our needs, but we have never had problems with food or with hygiene and cleaning material”, said Zindoga. “We are continuing to provide all meals, including fruit when necessary. Nothing has changed, although it is true that we would like things to be better, depending on our financial capacities”.He stressed that the HCM is operating normally, and that there are considerable amounts of foodstuffs in its warehouses. But he admitted that the hospital’s budgetary difficulties mean that it has been running up debts to its suppliers of food and cleaning materials,The HCM entered 2011 with a debt of 62 million meticais (slightly more than two million US dollars) from the previous year. When it received this year’s budget, it paid off the 2010 debt, but has now run up further debts to suppliers of between 20 and 30 million meticais.Zindoga thanked the suppliers for taking an understanding attitude and continuing to provide the hospital with the goods it needs, even though they know there will be delays in receiving payment.“There are prospects that the money will be paid, but we don’t know when”, he said. High level meetings have been held between the health and finance ministries to analyse the problems of the HCM.At first sight, the HCM budget for 2011 looks larger than the previous year’s budget. But the increase is only for wages. The line in the hospital budget earmarked for goods and services has actually declined by between 10 and 20 per cent.
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