The director of Maputo Central Hospital (HCM), Mouzinho Saide, denied rumors that the facility is facing a shortage of food and insulin.

"It's not true that there's a shortage of food for the patients. We try to serve food according to the calories that each patient needs to consume. Perhaps there are those who are used to eating more and think that what the hospital serves is too little," said the official, who was speaking to journalists on the sidelines of the ceremony to hand over orthopedic and traumatology instruments to the HCM.

Quoted by AIM, the director acknowledged, however, that there are days when the food arrives late or when there may be a shortage of a certain type of food, "but most of the time we don't have a shortage of food for our patients".

Regarding insulin, which is administered to treat diabetes, Mouzinho said that "we have enough basic insulin, but not special insulin because not all diabetes patients use the same type. Even in private pharmacies it hasn't been easy to find".

Currently, around three million people live with diabetes in Mozambique and the number of cases has been worrying, especially in children and young people.