Category Archives: Uncategorized

Container Arrives Unscathed

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Our amazing friend Daryl Mills, the hardworking Rotary Liaison in Timor Leste, has informed us that the container carrying our precious equipment and materials has arrived unscathed! Our partners in Railaco, Father Bong and his team, will be taking it all to Railaco for our first team to sort when they arrive. Just in the nick of time! Team 1 hits Timor Leste’s sunny shores on the 20th April, in just over a week.

As we are creating a new fixed dental clinic in Railaco, to be used by the team when in the area, the refurbished dental chair, drill unit and suction unit will be installed there permanently – Team 1’s Keith Mentiplay’s first job! The remainder of the materials and equipment will be taken by the team back to Maubara.

Equipment in TL must be hardy – it must be able to cope with the humidity, the heat, the dusty conditions and uncertain electrical currents. But its first challenge is to withstand Timor’s roads.

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DENTAL SUPPLIES HEAD TO TL

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Last Thursday, vital supplies for the Timor Leste Dental Program  were delivered to Rotary’s Donation in Kind warehouse in West Footscray, Victoria, where in two weeks, they will be placed in a shipping container bound for TL (via Hong Kong!!?) – an unwieldy way to get goods across to a country that remains without a postal system. Many, many thanks go to Ben Sheen, who drove the supplies from Sydney to Melbourne.

Blanche with a generous donation from Henry Schein Halas
Blanche with a generous donation from Henry Schein Halas

Amongst these supplies  are an electric dental chair, bound for Railaco, a portable suction unit, a dental drills cart and lots of consumables!  Many thanks to the amazing Keith Mentiplay for checking out the chair, to fabulous John O’Connor for overhauling the dental cart, to Dr Gordon Howe for donating the suction unit and to Dentsply for the consumables. Special thanks to Henry Schein Halas for the 15 cartons of gloves, bibs, and masks  etc- the Henry Schein Cares team really came through for us at short notice. Thank you Jessica and Kira! I know that our dental teams will truly appreciate NOT having to carry all this stuff to TL this year!

Our gear should arrive in Dili by March 22, where it will be taken in hand by our hardworking Rotary Liaison Officer, Daryl Mills, who seems to effortlessly, and tirelessly, juggle all the needs of all the Rotary Programs in Timor Leste. Daryl will distribute the gear – just in time for the first team which arrives in April! Thanks Daryl!

Like all volunteer programs, the Timor Leste Dental Program exists because of the efforts of a multitude of dedicated, generous, caring people. We are grateful for you all.

 

MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM THE TLDP

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As 2014 draws to a close, one naturally reflects upon the year which has passed so rapidly. It has been an exceedingly busy and exciting year for all of us in the Timor Leste Dental Program. We have welcomed a whole bunch of new volunteers and said our sad goodbyes to those who have called it a day. It has been a year of outrageously intense fundraising and thanks to all our supporters, we managed to not only achieve our goal of buying a new Troopie – T2 – but we have been able to raise money that will carry us forward for the next few years. Your generosity and support has been overwhelming and we are grateful not only for your financial support, but also for  your ideas and advice.

Sr teachingAs this goes to press, we are preparing to transport a second hand dental chair  (donated by Dr David Sheen) to our new partners, the Jesuit Mission in Railaco. This chair will  be useful when our teams are in Railaco and we are hoping it will also be useful for Father Bong, a medical GP, for procedural work. With the chair goes a second portable suction unit, donated by Dr Gordon Howe of Manly, and a portable dental unit as well. We are also hoping to sneak in 119 boxes of gloves with the ‘package’ so the teams don’t have to lug around so much luggage next year. Fingers crossed! The ‘package’ will be sent to Melbourne by courier, to be placed on the next shipping container to Dili.

church bellWe have had an unprecedented number of volunteers putting up their hand for 2015, and I am happy to report that our increased profile has allowed us to send 5 teams in 2015 – we may even have a 6th! Our volunteer year kicks off in late April with Team 1 being lead by David Sheen, who will be accompanied by the super enthusiastic Peter Shakes and equipment guru Keith Mentiplay. Team 2, lead by John Moran and his talented daughter, Sam, will head out in early June.  Newcomers, Dr Mary Tiutuinnik and Beth Bowen  will join Team 3 in late July, with  Blanche Tsetong and jack-of-all-trades Wayne Pearson. Team 4, lead by super chilled David Digges, with dental legend, Geoff Knight, will leave late August. Team 5, consisting of Andy Moran (Snake), Gordon Saggers (Cowboy) and Alan Christie (Agatha) will head to TL in mid- September and will be the first of our teams to work in Railaco only. For advice on those nicknames – I am reliably told it is secret Railaco business – apply to Father Bong.

Thank you to all of our volunteers, our long-suffering families, our friends and supporters for everything you have given to the program this year. We wish you all a safe, very happy Christmas and a super new year! See you all in 2015!

MONEY MATTERS

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On behalf of all us who volunteer for the Timor Leste Dental Program I would like to offer a sincere thanks to the Chatswood Rotary Club for throwing us that marvellous bash earlier this year. Drs David Digges, David Sheen and Blanche Tsetong were invited to one of the club’s meetings at the start of this month. After giving a presentation to the attendees, they were handed a cheque for $53 000 – a significant amount of money that will help keep us going for the next few years. This is in addition to the generous donations we have received, and are continuing to receive, from our fabulous supporters.

So what are we planning on doing with the dough? We at TLDP central are planning on buying a new compressor, a new portable dental cart, paying off our loan for Troopie 2 and generally getting on with the job at hand. Thank you for your support! We could not do it without you!

A few fun facts about the program.

We sent 7 dental teams from Feb 2013 – Sept 2014

We treated 2895 Timorese people.

We extracted 2071 teeth, placed 1189 fillings and performed 1490 preventive treatments.

A conservative estimate of the cost of this treatment is $848 260.

We are in the midst of planning 2015, which is shaping up to be another exciting year! We have a whole new line-up of eager volunteers, thanks to our raised profile, and are planning additional trips!! Keep you posted!

(Picture from left: Club President, Dr Tony Basten, Dr Peter Kindred, Dr Dick Abbott, Dr David Sheen, Dr Blanche Tsetong, Mrs Coleen O’Neill, Mr Michael McQuillon, Dr David Digges)

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The lucky team returns!

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Our last team for 2014 returned from Timor Leste a couple of weeks ago, tired but triumphant. The team was exceedingly busy both weeks. In the first week our intrepid team, comprising Dr Hans Raets (Team leader), Dr Yvonne Huijser Von Reenen and Ms Breanna Martin, made the first dental visit to the village of Lebuletta, a 90 min 4WD into the hills above Maubara. We are not sure they will be invited back – by hooking up to the village’s brand new electricity supply, they blew all the fuses!

Hans, Yvonne, Sr FilomenaThat same week, the team also visited the nearby villages of Paurobo and Kaikasa where they were dismayed by the high levels of decay. They were also plagued by equipment failures – herniated air lines, seizing of high speed and slow speed handpieces and malfunctioning valves on the steriliser. Luckily the team had Breanna – a secret expert in battling recalcitrant equipment. She singlehandedly fixed both the air line and the valves.

hans team 2014In the second week, the team was joined by Dr Geoff Knight and his daughter, Anneli Knight, as well as Aida, the Timorese Dental Therapist that the program mentors, who works in Liquiça and Maubara.

The team took off to Bobonaro, a 5 hour rough journey with spectacular scenery. They made a stop in the infamous town of Balibo, where Rotary is building a guesthouse and clinic (apparently the rooms and food are 1st class! We have already volunteered to test them out). A lucky team, they were fortunate to be just in time to see the Tour de Timor cyclists cross the Stage 2 finish line!

In Bobonaro the team was swamped by work, which was dealt with most effectively by using a special treatment protocol which Geoff has helped develop. With Geoff’s tutelage, Aida, in particular, has become extremely proficient in treating decay quickly  with basic equipment. A return visit next year is on the cards to assess the 344 teeth treated in this way.

Catastrophe struck on the ‘lucky’ team’s second last day. The compressor kicked the bucket at the worst time – when they were treating Sr Fatinha, our Timorese coordinator in Bobonaro. A 5 min job became a 2 hour job. Well done Geoff!

hotspringDespite equipment failures and  the bells and the dogs of Bobonaro, the team managed to maintain their remarkable spirit and goodwill throughout the trip. Could it be because of Anneli’s sterilisation efficiency  keeping them amply supplied with cold steel? Or was it super-dental assistant Breanna, with her continual rendition of AFL songs? Perhaps it was the pilgrimage with Sr Mendes  to the hotsprings at nearby Marobo? No matter what the reason, they were a great team!

Another successful trip despite many trials. The team treated a total of 578 patients. They extracted 321 teeth, filled 226 teeth and performed 438 preventive operations. Well done Hans, Yvonne, Breanna, Geoff, Anneli, Aida,  Sr Filomena and Sr Fatinha!

Final 2014 Team READY!

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The last team of 2014 is now on-track to depart from Timor Leste in a couple of weeks. It has been a bit of a ride for this last team – administration problems, recalcitrant passports containing one too many numbers for online forms and scary health issues have all contributed to the stress of preparation for this team. Nevertheless, they are still going! You’ve got to admire the dedication!

The last team consists of returning clinicians Dr Hans Raets from Northern Territory and Dr Geoffrey Knight from South Australia, as well as three eager new volunteers – Dr Yvonne Huijser Van Reenen and Ms Breanna Martin, who also reside in the balmy NT, and Ms Anneli Knight, Geoff’s intrepid daughter. It is fabulous to see that this program has true national support, with dentists participating in the program hailing from all states (except Tassie – too far for them to travel, perhaps?).

The team will arrive in Dili on the 6th September. Their first job will be to fix the portable suction unit which was discovered to be leaking on the last day by the July team. Unfortunately, Team 3 possessed neither the tools nor the hand size for the job – thankfully Team 4 consists of taller people and has had the chance to head to Bunnings!

The team will, as usual, spend the first week in the Maubara/Liquiça subdistricts and then will be heading out the hills of Bobonaro for the second week. Lucky them! The area around Bobonaro is exceedingly beautiful and Sr Fatinha and her fellow sisters will make them feel right at home. The only downside are the bells…and the dogs….a very early wakeup call. Fair warning!!

http://https://vimeo.com/103895361

NB: This video was taken from bed. Note it’s pitch black!

 

 

 

ROTARY FUNCTION SUCCESS

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Those of us who attended last night’s function are still stunned by the sheer grandeur of the event. The huge attendance, the generous support from donors, and the fabulous MC, all contributed to making last night’s event a huge success. A MASSIVE THANK YOU to Chatswood Rotary Club, for putting in the hard yards for this program. Thank you also to David Sheen and David Digges for their hard work in putting together their tightly woven speeches, and to Sam Moran for a video that cemented into the minds of the viewers an idea of what it is we do over in Timor Leste. We are extremely grateful to the Prime Minister, The Hon Tony Abbott for sparing us some time out of his busy schedule to join us last night and also to the Hon Joe Hockey MP, and other dignitaries, for their support and goodwill. A heartfelt thank you to the Consul General of Timor Leste, Armandina Gusmão Santos and her admin officer, Ligia Ximenes for their grace and friendship. They were wonderful company last night.

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It is too early for the final figures to be finalised, but rest assured, dear friends and supporters, the fabulous, super efficient folks from Chatwood Rotary have thrown us an event that has raised us more funds than we originally anticipated! A BIG thank you to all of you who attended last night, who spent up big on those auctions and raffles, and to those of you who continue to support us from afar.

(Picture from Left: Dr David Sheen, Dr Blanche Tsetong, Timor Leste Consul General, Sra. Armandina Gusmao Santos, Prime Minister The Honourable Tony Abbott,  & Dr David Digges)

July Team arrives back Home

The tiny team of Linda Veloskey and Blanche Tsetong touched down on Australian soil on Saturday, after a massive delay caused by cranky computers and lack of a fax machine in Dili Airport.

LV and BT

As you all know, Team 3 had the excitement of test driving the ‘new’ car and we can report that with the exception of an errant horn, lack of a jack, mismatched noisy tyres, a sticky back door and the unwise use of dodgy fuel, Troopie 2 was a dream ride!

Work locations:  Maubara Clinic, Liquiça Hospital, Vatuvou School, Maubisse Hospital.

The team worked again in Liquiça with Aida, who is fast becoming a tooth extractor

Aida does her first filling on a front tooth
Aida does her first filling on a front tooth

extraordinaire and is now working on her filling techniques. The best bit about the Maubara/Liquiça area, is its proximity to the ocean – an arvo swim is the best balm to a 8 hours standing in 30 degree heat.

squashy Liquica
Squashy Liquica Clinic
Armando
Armando in action

Our second week was spent in the cold mountain town of Maubisse, which despite its lack of beach had a number of advantages – a lower mozzie count, cooler temps to work in, and Armando Da Costa Martins, the new Timorese dental therapist at the hospital – like Tino and Aida, he is super keen to learn!!! Like the others, he also missing a stack of basic dental equipment and materials.

The boss changes gauze on an extraction patient
The boss changes gauze on an extraction patient

 Drill bits (he also has a new chair), suction tips, local anaesthesia and filling materials were only a few of the materials we brought him to get him going! This visit we concentrated on local anaesthetic techniques and infection control, but with a bare 3 days of contact, the learning curve was steep. Nevertheless, Armando took it all in his stride, always smiling and laughing when the going got tough!

Thanks HSH!
Thanks HSH!

In total, the team treated 209 patients, carrying out 134 exams, 210 extractions, 97 fillings, and 20 preventative services. Thank you to Henry Schein Halas for their continued support this trip – we used all that free stuff!!!!

OBRIGADA BARAK LOOS!

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That’s  “Thank you very very much” in Tetum, the lingua franca in Timor Leste. We have a lot to be thankful for. Chatswood Rotary have been working tirelessly to ensure that this Wednesday’s big function is a success; we have gained a new Timorese dental nurse to work with in the mountain town of Maubisse; and while our third team has been in Timor Leste this last fortnight, we have had more donations from our generous supporters (head to the ‘Donate NOW’ page to see who these lovely people are)!

As mentioned before (See post “Program Budget Update”), the Timor Leste Dental Program costs $15000 every year to run and this year the budget has blown out to $43800. So we really appreciate all the support!

The funds raised now = $30345

Obrigada barak ba Ita-nia ajuda! Thank you for your help!

Team 2 report summary

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Team 2’s visit in June was littered with challenges. An erupting volcano threw travel plans into disarray, a missed turn in the road meant an unplanned trip into Railaco, and  broken compressors and dodgy repairs limited both the work done in the first week as well as the team’s movements. Unfazed, the team – John, Tony and bilingual Sam, with our Timorese partners, Sr Filomena and Aida, the Timorese dental therapist – were able to visit the school in Dair and Liquiça Hospital, as well working in the Maubara Clinic. In total they carried out 829 treatments! Well done team!

Tony Hunt and child in Dair