Health barriers for Timor-Leste
Helen
Bradley is a senior lecturer in UniSA’s School of Nursing and Midwifery
with a special interest in health inequalities for disadvantaged groups,
especially woman and children. Here she reports on a recent trip to
Timor-Leste, our closest neighbour and one of the poorest nations on
earth.
“When I saw the massacre of Santa De Cruz in East Timor on TV in 1991, I never imagined I would one day be there myself. However, through contacts in the Public Health Association of Australia was invited to do a needs assessment to prioritise the health needs of the people living in the mountainous coffee-growing Emera district.
Although stunningly beautiful, Timor-Leste, is underdeveloped and one of the poorest countries in the world. There are few cars and if you’re lucky you have electricity between 6pm and 12pm. There is no hot water and few luxuries.
I worked with the Saint Bahkita, a community centre which gave shelter to 406 East Timorese refugees fleeing the destruction of their country following Independence. The centre runs courses in computing, English and dressmaking. There is a new health clinic, all built by locals led by skilled Australian volunteers with support from organisations like Rotary, St John of God, as well as individuals.
The clinic has made an amazing difference to the lives of the people in the district. Health services are provided by both local and expatriate volunteers and donations have funded two ambulances to transport patients to the clinic and to hospital.
My colleagues from the School of Nursing and Midwifery provided a donation prior to my departure which among other things paid for fuel for ambulance transport to hospital for several women in labour, probably saving both them and their babies’ lives.
It was such a privilege to be invited into the villages and meet these wonderful people in their own environment. But development is about sustainability, so I will be returning to Timor to run a training course to develop their health workers.
If anyone would like to know more about St Bahkita Centre the web site can be found at www.bakhita.org/health.htm