TLDP Team 2 June 2024

Uncategorized, , , , ,

Visiting Maubara, Don Bosco and Maubisse from June 2nd to June 16.

Team Leader: Dr Mary Tiutiunnik

Australian Team Members: Kayleen Alexopoulos – Dental Assistant (Week 1)

                                            Dr Geordie Meekin – Dentist (Week 2)

                                            Dr Shane Fernando – Dentist (Week 2)

Timorese Team Members: Ana de Jesus Barreto Tilman (AT) Dental Nurse

                                           Ana Paula dos Santos Tavares Salgado (AP)

                                           Ana Jose Martins (AM) Dental Nurse

                                           Zaino Tison Martins (Tison) Dental Nurse

Timorese Dental Nurses (Solar Smiles): Deonisio Anyonio Mendonca 

                                                                Lucas Mendonca Rodrigues

Timorese  Helpers: Diamantin0 Correia Morais (Tino) (Don Bosco)

Locations of Operation: Loes Vatuboro (Maubara Subdistrict) Yrs 1-6

                           Don Bosco Technical College Dili 

                           Fatubessi School (Maubisse Subdistrict)

                           Carmelite Sisters’ Clinic Maubisse

After some weeks of preparation, organising people, supplies and other logistics necessary for a successful trip, Mary and Kayleen arrived on the late flight from Darwin, delayed due to bags needing to be offloaded in Darwin due to weight restrictions. One of which was Mary’s, full of gloves and stock. The ever reliable Mario, on hand with the Troopie to pick up the Team, assured them that he would gather the bag tomorrow. Quickly shopping for consumables, we headed to Maubara to find a number of boxes from Rotary in Adelaide containing a dental potpourri of stock and equipment, including the much needed gloves.

We try and educate our Timorese colleagues about many aspects of dentistry and after dinner, Kayleen impressed upon AT and AM the importance of stock control and packing in an orderly manner so that things can be easily seen, collated and repacked for our road trips. Importantly, AP and Tino had recently sourced sharps boxes from the Maubara Health Clinic who will also dispose of them for us…..saving the less professional repurposing of water bottles.

This year we have implemented a more thorough oral health program with the nearby schools that seems to be going quite well. AT, AP, and AM have screened, treated, and given oral health education to the children at the three preschools in Maubara and are working their way through the 595 students at the primary school a few doors down the road.

We started the weeks outreach work in Loes, a community about 20 minutes down the road from Maubara. As most of the Maubara district schools are only open until 12, we left early for Loes with Tison, a dental nurse from Maubara who is presently volunteering at Liquicia Hospital and enjoying learning with our Team. After the Oecusse trip in May, Tison, a helpful and amiable young man, became very able at setting up our equipment. He speaks the local Maubara dialect which was great for oral hygiene instruction and patient communication. The mornings were filled with primary school students and then after school we saw the community, many who seemed to be related to Tison. 

These Loes patients all had large multi rooted teeth, perhaps the biggest we have seen in Timor, however AT was very competent at removing them, albeit needing to swap hands to relieve the strain. Mary was able to tutor Tison about doing simple fillings and the use of silver fluoride in arresting large carious cavities.

We extended our stay in Loes, it was important to not leave any school children still suffering infections. Nothing is written in stone with our trips and it is important to remain flexible with our scheduling to accomodate first hand information.

Finally, it was time to leave Maubara and head toward Dili and then on to Maubisse for the second half of our trip. This needed some careful planning as the cars would not return to Maubara before handing them over to the next Team, necessitating carrying extra stock. Kayleen’s instructions about recording and packing proved very useful in organising the cars.

Don Bosco Clinic

After the 1 hour trip back to Dili, we set up our clinic in the Don Bosco vocational training centre on the edge of Dili. Usually we try and look after regional communities but as many of the young people at the centre came from the country, with limited funds for dental treatment we felt that we should help look after them. 

Saying goodbye to Kayleen, we picked up our two new team members, Geordie and Shane who are working in rural Queensland. Joined by Tino and the many helpers at Don Bosco, the mobile clinic was quickly established and we were able to see many young people over the weekend. The brothers and priests were extremely grateful for our service, and we are hopeful we can come back in November to complete our tasks here.

The Sisters car suffered two broken windows overnight, a rare negative to our trips and Mary and the Don Bosco driver needed to tour the car repair workshops of Dili to find something that looked like the originals.

Sister Joaninha de Araujo, Sister Joaninha dos Reis, Dr Mary Tuituinnik and Sister Odette

Being in Dili afforded an opportunity to meet with the Carmelite Sisters who are integral to us efficiently doing our work. Unfortunately, the news wasn’t good as the felt they did not have the time to attend to our accreditation and customs clearance. As the Sisters are licensed to run health clinics, we can use their credentials to bring essentials such as anaesthetic into Timor Leste. We left for Maubisse wondering about the future and how we might need to restructure our arrangements.

Maubisse is up in the hills and quite cold, especially for Tison who lives on the hot coast and appeared quite stunned with the change in climate. Our arrival coincided with a visit from the Cardinal and we enjoyed seeing the colourful celebrations with many dancing Timorese in native costumes. Our accomodation was within earshot of the church, loud music continuing until luckily there was a power outage which sent the noisy throng home.

Maubisse

School starts a little later because of the cold and so there was less need for an early start, just as well as the road was rough with the last 300 meters more suited to a mountain goat. Shaun, a keen 4 wheel driver enjoyed the challenge but baulked at the last decent thinking that losing the Troopy over the edge wouldn’t look good on his resume. Luckily a bevy of locals appeared and kindly carried our equipment down the hill to the small school.

Portage of our equipment down the hill

Lucas and Deon, the two Solar Smiles dental nurses met us up with us and joined the Team for the week. Solar Smiles is another Rotary backed group that concentrates on oral health in schools in the Maubisse region.  After a short ceremony from the teachers where we were presented with the local woven tais we set to work. As often is the case the power supply at the school was not quite enough requiring more helpers to climb the hill and fetch our generators.

We found that the children and community had quite poor oral health however their teeth were quite small and easy to remove, unlike those of the folk in Loes down by the coast.

The next day it was a late finish to our clinic as the local men who were to carry our gear up the hill wished to have their teeth cleaned before they would start.

We then worked for two days at the Carmelite Sisters clinic in Maubisse, unfortunately they did not have their government contract renewed and the once busy clinic was very quiet. The slower change of pace allowed for some quality mentoring, particularly in filling techniques of the Solar Smiles boys and Tison, Geordie and Shane were of a similar age to their new Timorese friends and enjoyed the chance to share their knowledge which was received with great interest.

The Solar Smiles boys had a treasure trove of materials and we were able to “borrow” tubes of hand sanitiser which was in short supply and donate other materials to Tino who never has enough in hid government run clinic.

Back down to Dili where Mary was knee deep in the documentation rigmarole for the next team. Nothing seems straightforward in Timor Leste, working out who to approach at the MoH for our accreditations and designating someone to get that job done.

Helping the children, relieving pain and infection sometimes seem the easy tasks to do.

More running around to get the essentials for the next Team, a trip to the airport to pick up newly arrived Henry, introductions, debrief and lunch, back to the airport for the Australian contingent and all of a sudden our trip was over.

For an impromptu trip, Team 2 was very busy , importantly helping the locals in need and also introducing new team members to our work in Timor Leste.

Second week Team 2 Team members

TLDP Team 1 2024

Uncategorized

TLDP Team 1 Visits Oecusse May 2024

Oecusse is somewhat of an anomaly, the site of some of the first Portuguese landings in Timor in the 1560’s, it sits landlocked within Indonesian West Timor.

The TLDP last visited Oecusse in 2018 with a team led by Dave Sheen.

Logistically, this was the most complex trip that we’ve undertaken in the last few years and plenty of planning was necessary to minimise the inevitable curve balls that get thrown at us. Should we take the ferry or travel overland…..the ferry schedule seems somewhat random, what documents do we need to get through 4 border posts……plenty of things to think about.

On top of all this, there was a wedding invitation in the mail from our old friend Bony…..and he wished for all the team to attend the celebrations to be held at the start of our visit.

 Team 1 consisted of Dr Henry, new recruit Dr Josie with our employees Ana Tilman and Ana Martins, fellow dental nurses Tino and Tison and Ana Paula, our super organiser.

Dr Henry arrived on Wednesday May 1 to be met by gout free Mario (our Rotary liaison in Dili) and AT. There followed much racing around to collect consumables (there was not one paper towel left in Dili) and dispense funds for various activities. This included money for tickets to get most of the team onto the nights ferry to Oecusse. The original plan was for the team and Troopy to take the Friday nights ferry however Bony’s wedding needed to be moved forward a day because the priests in Oecusse don’t do Saturday weddings. Apparently nobody turns up at mass the next day. So away they went on Wednesday night. 

Dr Henry and AT took the Troopy to Maubara, and filled it full of the contents of the clinic. Thursday dawned and a local driver took the heavily loaded Troopy back to Dili whilst AT and Dr Henry followed in the requisitioned Sisters car, heading to the airport to pick up Dr Josie. 

She was in surprisingly good humour after lugging in 40 kilos of stock all the way from Newcastle. Introductions done, we decamped back into Dili to gather sim cards, final shopping and a collect couple of Bony’s friends, fellow travellers to the wedding who reputedly had crossed the borders previously and had the requisite knowledge. 

Back to Maubara for our merry band of travellers. Having completed Dr Josies induction into the vagaries of bathrooms, mosquito nets and most things Timor Leste, we took an early night to get ready for the overland adventure in the morning.

The 2 hour trip down the coast to the border town of Batugarde was uneventful, however vigilance was necessary with many children walking to school on the road and goats and chickens crossing the road (to get to the other side). Nervously we approached the Timorese border post, our passports and papers were in order but did we have 7 copies of the cars documents? Commandeering a motorbike, a search for a photocopier began and 7 copies later, the Timorese bureaucracy happy, we advanced 500 meters to the Indonesian officialdom.   

A well oiled machine at extracting money from unsuspecting travellers sprang into action. Yes, there possibly was transposition of a couple of numerals in our vehicles documents but it can be all fixed with a $70 facilitation fee, just see that man over there. 

Finally we emerged into Indonesia and set off in search of Oecusse. 

It was here that our fellow wedding guests with the intimate knowledge of roads, maps and local experience were able to apply their expertise. Suffice to say that the Sisters car has seen a lot more of West Timor than it needed to. 

Finally arriving at the next Indonesian passport control we were pleasantly surprised to be ushered through with a minimum of fuss. Only to be deposited into the clutches of the Timorese officials who insisted that our good for 30 days “Visa on Arrival” which we procured at some expense at Dili airport just a day or so ago needed to be renewed because we were entering Timor Leste. Go figure.   

Our sense of humour somewhat dented we arrive just in time to miss the wedding service, something the locals said was no bad thing. This lucky break left time for the team to “preperate” ( an ill defined term, but known to those of us who’ve seen the girls emerge radiant from the bathroom after throwing ladles of water at themselves ) for the evenings festivities. 

  They are possibly still talking about the wedding of Bony to Byca in Oecusse; a cast of thousands, it was a joyful celebration. Spare a thought for Dr Josie who found herself dropped into a huge Timorese wedding as a guest of honour, not knowing the protagonists and still finding her Timor Leste feet. 

Making our exit in the early morning, dropping a bunch of nuns home on the way, it was a very tired Dr Henry who arose to meet the ferry at 5am, retrieving the Troopy loaded with all our equipment and materials.

   Commandeering a church hall, we created our 3 chair portable dental surgery which was to be our home for the next 12 days. We were fortunate to have a new compressor and 2 new portable dental units which had been recently bought with funds donated in recognition of the long service that Dr Blanche had given the TLDP as Coordinator.

We settled into an easy routine of walking to work from our Carmelite accommodation, through a cow pat studded field, saying “Bondia” to the flock gathered to see us at the hall front door, prepping the surgery for the days endeavours, lighting mosquito coils and firing up the fans. 

The church hall enjoyed an ambient temperature of about 32 degrees C and if you weren’t in the range of a fan it became somewhat uncomfortable. 

Ana Paula marshalled the throng, numbered them off with requisite paper chit and set them to patiently wait watching their compatriots get treated. It was amazing to see that they all knew exactly where they were in the queue, often wanting to load themselves as a chair became empty. 

In tandem, two of the team would be dispatched to the school next door to triage the students class by class and herd the chosen ones back to the hall. Then came the tricky part, with the students as our priority we needed to gently ask some of the community to come back in the afternoon or even tomorrow. For the first few days, our optimistic judgment of time had us trudging home in the dark.

Our hostesses, four Carmelite Sisters, a quartet of passion and activity, proved to be very good company. Nothing was too much trouble, from whistling up a driver, to setting off in a Tum-tum to do some shopping for us. In the evening, strumming a guitar and singing whist we enjoyed a well deserved beer and in the morning, woken to the sounds of “Alleluia” drifting through the wall from their small chapel.

Our association with the Carmelite Sisters helps navigate the sometime impenetrable pathways of bureaucracy that seem commonplace in Timor Leste. 

On our first day, the Sisters accompanied the Team to present our credentials to the local Minister of Health and with much nodding,  handshaking and with a small speech, he allowed us to do our work.

Sundays being a day of rest, we were discouraged from working, apparently dental pain can be assuaged by attending mass.

So we thought that we would get a bit of fresh air, see the great outdoors and tick off a number of local waterfalls. Our first choice was quickly discounted when we found that the local bad spirits preyed on unwary travellers who walked in an odd numbered group. Our team being seven.   

The next choice looked suitable and we set off with a jaunty gait, through the coconut grove and up the creek. Not hearing the sounds of falling water we employed some local children to guide us toward our aquatic destination. Yes, it’s just up this hill, around the corner and up and down a little bit. What started as a merry doddle turned into a team bonding session. Who would have thought that a waterfall would be at the top of a mountain! Just as we were wondering who to eat first, through the mist our waterfall appeared. There followed a frenzy of selfie taking with the photogenic backdrop ensuring friends and family scattered through Timor Leste could travel along with us and be suitably impressed.

The following Sunday we drove out to conquer our second waterfall, this one more conventionally situated at the bottom of the mountain. Reached by walking up a dried river bed and then through the stream itself for a kilometre or so, this waterfall was another scenic example of what the Oecusse landscape has to offer.

The dental treatment we were able to provide varied quite a bit. Of course, there was attention to “moras” (pain) for many patients with extraction of the offending tooth a quick remedy. One young man who had come off his motorbike a year ago and fractured his front teeth was able to be treated with multiple root canals and large resin restorations.  

We also saw many large anterior cavities where the team was able to provide tooth saving treatment.

Another important facet of our TLDP is to help provide clinical knowledge and  guidance to our Timorese colleagues. Dr Josie (who could still remember being at University) provided the intellectual heft whilst Dr Henry imparted some more practical advice.

The days ticked past and finally it was time to pack up, thankfully not needing to turn any patients away in the final hours. 

Team 1 for the TLDP provided treatment for over 660 patients, many of them secondary students, much of it relieving pain and infection or preventing future problems. It is so rewarding to be able to help young people and change the course of their life by saving their anterior teeth from future removal.

After having enough of border crossings we all returned to Dili on the overnight ferry to be deposited at the docks at 5am. There is not much open at that time so we decamped to the lobby of the best hotel in town, fought the night manager for the sofa and grabbed some much needed sleep. 

Later that morning we said goodbye to Dr Josie as she was to wing her way back to Australia, leaving behind some new best friends and taking with her the myriad experiences that volunteering in Timor Leste will provide.

However no rest for the wicked, the cars still needed to be driven the hours drive back to Maubara, unloaded, stocktake done and still time for an afternoon clinic with children from a local school.

Back to Dili the next day, leaving the Troopy in Mario’s capable hands, final goodbyes and another successful TLDP team visit was completed.

There are many people who contribute to our TLDP team success, from those who donate funds that allow us to operate, our self funded volunteer dentists who contribute their time and expertise, our Timorese collegues, the many Carmelite Sisters and our Rotary friends, Mario and Judite.

Special mention to Dr Mary and the TLDP Advisory Board who attend to everything that makes for a successful and fulfilling program.

Changing of the Guard – a farewell from Blanche

Uncategorized

The Timor-Leste Dental Program has played a profoundly significant role in my life. I first encountered Dr. Sandra Meihubers, one of TLDP’s founders, while working for Justice Health in NSW. Upon expressing my interest in volunteering, she met me in Glebe, Sydney, where she assessed my suitability for joining the program. Evidently, I passed muster, as 17 years have swiftly passed by. That evening, I gleaned a valuable lesson—the TLDP is meticulous about the values, cultural sensitivities, and clinical, emotional, and psychological capabilities of its volunteers, a commitment that persists to this day.

In 2006, the young program employed a single Timorese dental therapist, had less than 12 volunteers in its ranks, and the teams took a very simple set-up on outreach clinics, with very few instruments, and hand-mixed, chemical-set filling materials. There was one portable chair, and very little equipment that required electricity. The teams were small and visited many different villages in central and western parts of TL. During those early years, access to electricity and running water was a luxury. Evenings spent with the Carmelite sisters, our partners, dining by candlelight, remain among my fondest memories. Mobile service was virtually non-existent, rendering a trip to TL akin to disappearing into a black hole for the outside world. It was two weeks of being fully present, long before ‘mindfulness’ entered popular consciousness.  There were no tourists – just the UN, armed forces from many countries, and many other non-government organisations (NGOs) like us. 

On my second trip to TL, Sandra also invited along one of her uni friends, Dr Wayne Pearson, and his dental assistant, Melanie Murray. This serendipitous decision birthed two enduring friendships. Wayne and I spent 10 years heading to TL in a team together, and Mel would have also carried on past the 3 years that she was with us, but for the frightening and dangerous episode of dengue fever that she contracted in Maubara one year. Thanks to Wayne, for a decade I equated a trip to TL with the consumption of a huge amount of pistachios and a beer at end of a day’s work. I was fortunate to have him on all those trips. I attribute my skills in field maintenance and my amassing of random facts about heavy machinery, road building, and farming to the countless hours I spent in his company.

I became Program Coordinator, seemingly by accident, in 2012, taking over from Sandra. The then still small committee of co-founder Dr David Sheen, Dr David Digges, Wayne, and I steered the TLDP towards where it is today – a much larger, focussed entity. Now in its 20th year, the TLDP has had scores of volunteers, many making it a regular event in their calendar. To foster continuity, our teams now return annually to work in the same subdistricts, hoping to compound our impact. Striving for sustainability and local ownership, we have employed two Timorese dental therapists full-time in the Maubara Clinic since 2017, supported several Timorese in their dental studies and provided clinical supervision and mentoring for countless Timorese clinicians who often present themselves to our teams on outreach. Most are employed by the Ministry of Health; some are newly graduated; all come to learn. It has been a privilege and a joy to work beside these capable and enthusiastic people.

Much has changed in TL over that time. Mobile phones with multiple SIMS are now ubiquitous, so communication with our Timorese partners has become simultaneously easier and more complex, with multiple platforms and languages in use. Our teams are much larger, and the Timorese members often outnumber the Aussies, which is wonderful! The teams also carry around a lot more gear – about three times as much as we did on my first trip – and can treat huge numbers of people each trip. Electricity and water are much more reliable, at least in the larger centres, but as the teams operate mostly in remote villages, we always carry water and generators. Sadly, those candleit dinners with the Sisters are a distant memory.

Timor-Leste continues to change at a dizzying rate, and not always in a manner that could be defined as progress. The exit of the UN and other foreign military after 2012 prompted a collapse of hospitality services for a few years; now with the increase in tourism, our teams are increasingly able to enjoy meals in cafes with mountain views or by the beach. Roads have improved on some of the major routes, and the trip from Dili to our base in Maubara has reduced from the once 3-hour odyssey to less than an hour’s journey; nonetheless, driving in TL continues to be a challenge in most of the country. In the ever-evolving political landscape, navigating TL’s governmental structures and its rules and regulations is a bamboozling exercise.

The need for dental care in TL remains high, with need far outstripping available services. t has been my honour to collaborate with everyone involved in the program, and I am pleased to entrust its capable leadership to Dr. Mary Tuituinnik and Dr. Henry Gilkes. I wish them fair winds and smooth sailing!

The Marvellous Medley

Uncategorized, ,

Team 4 was the smallest team in 2023 after a member pulled out at the very last minute and proved too difficult to replace. The Australian contingent of Team 4 consisted of Dr Mary Tiutiunnik and Kayleen Alexopoulos, a very experienced dental assistant from Adelaide.

Mary had the additional administrative tasks which fall to the last team leader of the year, and also happened to be the first team leader in TL after the triennial changeover of the Carmelite leadership, so had ambassadorial duties as well. Hence, she arrived in TL one week early to meet with the Carmelite Sisters’ new regional superior, Sr Odette, and second-in-charge, Sr Joaninha, who previously managed the Maubara Clinic. She was fortunate to be able to touch base with our beloved founder, Sr Filomena, who now works in the TB clinic, and she also visited Sr Feliciana who the TLDP is currently sponsoring . Sr Feliciana seems to be enjoying her studies to be a dental therapist and is passing her course requirements.

Sr Joaninha, Dr Mary and Sr Odette

The following day, Mary and Ana Paula met with Father Bong, the head of the Jesuit Mission in Railaco. He graciously took time from his busy schedule to show them around his clinic and give them afternoon tea. They then travelled up the road a bit further to  Gleno to visit Tino, our longest-standing mentee, who is a very skilled and popular government dental therapist. As always, Tino was extremely busy at his clinic, with a line of patients waiting to see him but unfortunately, there was no power. Despite his busy schedule, Tino often takes leave to travel with the TLDP teams.  After a quick look around Tino’s clinic, Mary and Ana-Paula travelled to Kasait to look at the  Jesuit clinic next to a large Jesuit school and college where Team 2 often works. 

The extra time in Dili was well needed to hunt for missing clinic supplies, some of which had failed to arrive despite being ordered over two months in advance. Mario, our friend from Rotarians Helping TImor, proved invaluable as he rang friends to find the best place to purchase the large number of gloves needed for the trip and for the clinic until a team returns in 2024. Dili had no small gloves to be found, and hand sanitiser proved very difficult to source since many people in TL thought Covid no longer existed and that hand sanitiser was now unnecessary.

Kayleen, Mary and Mario take a break from The Search

On Sunday, the team travelled to the Maubara clinic, collecting Timorese team members Ana Tilman, Ana Martins and Tino on the way. After a brief stop to pack the vehicles, they were off to Maubisse with a welcome lunch break in Laulara at Ana Tilman’s home. After a night in Maubisse, Monday morning saw two more Timorese health workers join the team, Imelda from the Carmelite clinic in Maubisse and Ricardo, one of the dental therapists from Maubisse Hospital, both of whom had previously joined one of our teams several times.

The team then travelled another 2 hours to Hatobuilico at the base of TL’s highest mountain, Mt Ramelau. The countryside was extremely dry, with fires burning in all directions, which made for a very smoky and dusty experience. However, we were warmly welcomed by the parish priest and set up our clinic in the large church hall. The next four days saw a steady stream of patients who mostly attended with toothaches.

Hatobuilico

Friday and Saturday were spent back at the Carmelite clinic in Maubisse where the team mostly saw adult patients needing fillings, as the local hospital clinic had no working handpieces or any means of mixing filling materials. We met up with Dion the dental nurse from another NGO, Solar Smiles, who happened to be Imelda’s brother and a local from Maubisse. Dion kindly took Mary and Tino to their Aladdin’s cave of dental materials, where we were able to replace some of the stock that did not turn up in Darwin. Tino was also given a wonderful supply of materials for his government clinic in Gleno. 

Even our smallest of teams become large with local health workers flocking to lend a hand

On Saturday evening, the team bid Kayleen goodbye at the Timor Plaza where she was staying for a well-deserved rest before flying back to Darwin on Sunday. Sunday saw Ana Paula, Ana Martins, Tino, and two young nursing students from Dili having treatment at the Maubara clinic. The two young nursing students required 3 extractions, and restorative work and one had quite poor periodontal health for a 22-year-old something rarely seen in Australia these days. As Monday had been declared a holiday for a second round of local government elections for some districts, Nico and Ana Tilman were required to travel to their homes in Baucau and Ailieu to vote so the rest of the team did a stocktake and general tidy-up of the clinic.

On Tuesday the team set up at the nearby Catholic primary and junior high school, St John Paul 11 at Paurubo. Mary noticed a general improvement in the school since 2018 with renovations and the building of new classrooms; however, about 60 % of the children had decayed teeth. Sadly, the team was unable to finish the treatment at this school and it was hoped that the children would come to the clinic or the school could be revisited early in 2024. 

In total, Team 4 examined 396 patients; extracted 278 teeth, placed 172 fillings and did 76 preventative treatments.

Business As Usual (Well Almost)

Uncategorized, , ,

Team 3 returned quite a while ago….in fact Team 4 is now in TL. Even the ‘easiest’ trips are exhausting, especially for the Team Leaders, who go from being flat chat in TL to being flat chat on their return to work… here are a few notes on the trip from Team Leader, Dr Peter Shakes

Compared to post COVID 2022, 2023 team 3 trip was pretty easy. Smooth travels. No cancelled flights. No MEETINGS!

The Australian contingent consisted of Drs Peter Shakes, Ed Montgomery and Will Hariman – all dentists. The three met for the first time in Darwin International Departures with Will playing the “who looks like a dentist” game and winning!

We arrived quite refreshed in Dili, did the customs and visa thing, hastened by the highly esteemed Mario from Dili Rotary and met Ed’s soon-to-be-highly-esteemed son, Jack, who is living and working in Dili.

Timor Plaza, Leader Supermarket, local sim cards – this is starting to feel familiar…

We overnighted in Timor Lodge in preference to the Maubara Klinic and managed to see the Matildas beat France in the women’s world cup at an Aussie expat bar – great atmospherics even for someone who believes football of any worth can’t be played with a spherical ball !

Days 2-11…

Began with the now familiar long haul Dili-Maubara-Atsabe which takes pretty much a full day with 10+ hrs Timor Leste Driving!

Ed fell into the role of car 2 driver like an old hand, with Will doing a great job of GPS route checking.

We collected all 3 Annas (Ana Paula, Ana Tilman, Ana Martins) after a little confusion and some stressful u-turns and made our way to Maubara Klinic where Nico Pires was waiting with all gear fully packed and ready to load (of course!)!

Arrived in Atsabe after a quick lunch in Gleno just in time to see our first Atsabe sunset!

If we were cursing the state of the road being as bad as always, it was more than balanced by the place being as beautiful as always!

New parish priest, Fr Fidelis was now in charge; a young vital fella with a real enthusiasm for the Timorese people he serves and a pretty fine musician as well.

So the pattern emerges from day 3 with clinic set up on the front verandah of the priests’ house and a dentist or two with an Ana or two off to drum up business in the surrounding schools.

Timor being Timor, a funeral and a commemoration ceremony meant that most of the schoolchildren and teachers were either enroute to, in,  or returning from said ceremonies in Gleno for the first few days.

We still managed to get a good solid flow of work despite this and we rotated screening trips between Ed and Will with the rest of the team keeping busy on our verandah clinic.

A 4 pm finish allowed most of the team to join Fr Fidelis on a village tour higher up the mountain where an enterprising individual has built the Timor Leste Eiffel Tower. Not sure how or why, but you have to award him points for enthusiasm!

Day 6 saw a priest meet at Atsabe with the priests from surrounding parishes in attendance. Many of them have supported our teams in the past but for the few that were new to us it was a good networking opportunity most ably pursued by our marketing team of Anas.

Ana Tilma, in particular, was in her element and now has direct phone access to most of the parish priests in Ermera.

This area has had little access to dental treatment since we were here pre-COVID despite having a dental nurse in the community clinic in Atsabe. In a familiar story, he has a clinic but pretty well no equipment or materials and no local anaesthetic. Fr Fidelis asked if we could set up and work for a time in a remote village in his parish known as Laçao. So after the Sunday morning off for those who mass to attend Mass we packed up and made our way to Laçao. The trip was slow, as we have come to expect, but a couple of the bridges were a point and pray moment that neither of us drivers enjoyed. It was not the bridges that caused the most concern but what appeared to be a clear stretch of road. It was here that I demonstrated for the benefit of the team that even 4WD doesn’t help if you have diagonally opposite wheels in the air.

The locals were as always helpful and got us back on the road without further incident.

Day 12-14….

We left Atsabe with a positive report from Fr Fidelis “you can stay for a month if you like” and an invitation to return next year.

The road to Gleno is pretty much the same going the other way – I spent the first hour on the way to Letofoho in first gear! I have passed here a number of times but it was the first time I had stopped here at the invitation of the priest who spoke very highly of the efforts of team 1. We stopped at Gleno Hospital on the way to Maubara and replenished Tino’s near exhausted local anaesthetic supplies and passed on some other restorative goodies he can’t get. [Tino is regarded by many of us in the TLDP as our biggest mentoring success story. He continues to join our teams every year to help out and gain experience, even though he now runs a busy hospital dental clinic – Ed.]. Back in the vehicles after a quick lunch and back to Maubara, with Nico and Peter making a detour to Dili to refill gas bottles while the rest of the team ate pizza in Liquiça!

Accommodation in clinic in Maubara with meals provided! Two days work at a school in Siamodo with about a 90 min drive each way. Normal flat out school with a great, friendly and curious group of kids with no water at all on school grounds. A very dry and dusty venue.

Last day was a half day – the team had worked every day for the last 12 days and was showing some sign of weariness. No complaints though. Back to Maubara to stocktake and clean and stow gear for the last team of 2023. Drop off and goodbyes as we returned to Dili for a last night  at Timor lodge.

-Pete

On the Road…again – memoirs from Team 2

Uncategorized, , , ,

How quickly the months roll around.

It seems that I’d only just finished taking my antimalarials from my last visit to TL, when it was time to visit the Doctor to get a new prescription and update my shots. 

Of course, there had been a preamble for months. Organising our new team members, a flurry of emails from Blanche, the program coordinator, various docs for various bureaucrats, the logistics around stock and equipment and then who will transport what from where.

Team 2 consisted of the old guard Henry Gilkes, David Digges, Ana Tilman, Ana Martins, and Nico Pires, with the new faces of Rupa Mannan in the first week and Niamh Grant and Ben Abbott in the second.

Henry and David arrived into Dili on Friday, June 23 to be met by Mario, our Rotary man on the ground. Troopy delivered into our hands, we set off for the Timor Plaza Hotel to negotiate an upgrade to our budget single room. Fortunately, success was on our side. We also had the pleasure of catching up with Isa, a long-time helper of the TLDP, and meeting her very partner Levi. Isa regaled us with tales of her busy life, juggling work and studies.

Next morning it was an early start in the Troopy, picking up Ana Tilman (AT) and Ana Martins (AM) on our way to Maubara to collect the Sisters’ car and load both with our equipment. We’re met by Nico and in his usual efficient manner both cars are loaded with everything but the surgery kitchen sink and we set off back toward Dili. With a little time to kill, we visit the Carmelite stronghold at Fatuhada to fly the flag and chat with the Sisters and some of the young adults who live there whilst studying. 

As ever, David managed to pull a crowd! 

We split into two – Sisters’ car departed for the airport, raiding the Leader supermarket on route before collecting Rupa with her cargo of stock, whilst the Troopy headed up the mountain to get a head start on our portable surgery setup at the Jesuit stronghold in Railaco.

Reunited somewhat later, we completed the finishing touches, testing the equipment to find that the much travelled refurbished triple syringe was still misbehaving. Rupa was acquainted with the bathroom facilities and relived school camp by bunking with AT and AM in the dorm. We suspect there was a lot of talking after lights out! 

Catching up with Father Bong and the other Jesuit priests for the evening meal before an early night to ready ourselves for the next day.

Somehow the news of our dental caravan is woven into Sunday mass and we hit the tools as soon as people left the church and wandered across to our clinic. No rest for the wicked – we had a full day of patients in their finest church attire.

Our working days start typically around 8am, usually rolling in to a group of locals who gather patiently at the clinic awaiting our arrival. 

Our primary objective in Railaco was to work our way through the school students at the nearby Jesuit boarding school, finishing the job that we started last year.

With 6 operators we sent three of us on the 5 minute walk through the cemetery to the school. AT marshalled the children, they fill in brief details on a chit and then filed past two of us to be examined by headlight and loupes using a no-touch technique. 

Having now created 2 groups, the “neehan diak” (good teeth) group wandered back to the classroom whilst we escorted those selected for treatment back to the clinic.

There is much nervous chatter discussing whether their paper says “solda” (filling) or “fokit” (extraction). The children face the dental unknowns ahead with stoicism, you can’t help but wonder how this would be going down in Australia. 

We see many instances of children who have had chronic pain for months, unable to eat properly and surely affecting their academic performance.

The days settled into a similar clinical pattern, 4 chairs working generally flat out until we ran out of patients around 5.30. We rotated operators as needed, particularly when there was something interesting happening where we could observe and offer guidance to our local colleagues. We can see an improvement in their clinical skills from last year, Nico proving to be a master of extractions and AT revelled in rebuilding smiles!

After our last patient, floors are mopped, benches tidied and we hit the bathroom to wash off the daily grime. Dinner with our hosts with wide ranging discussions and then sometimes a quick tutorial about something pertinent such as nerve blocks and filling techniques. 

One evening a guitar was procured and Rupa and AT regaled us all with their lovely voices and impressive musical prowess. 

An equally noteworthy event took place during our time in Railaco, when an Australian couple, who had sponsored AM throughout her three-year dental hygiene course in Kupang, paid us a visit. Emotions ran high as AM, who had limited contact with her sponsors over the years, finally had the opportunity to showcase the skills her benefactors’ gift had bestowed upon her as a young woman from the Maubara orphanage.

Dr David and Ana Martin, her two benefactors, and Father Bong

Halfway through the first week, we received disconcerting news about our planned access to the Maliana Hospital in our second week. A high-ranking bureaucrat at the Ministry of Health (MoH) had taken it upon himself to disregard all previous correspondence regarding our legitimacy and insisted on additional documentation. It appeared that the change in government had brought everything to a grinding halt. Determined to resolve the matter, we procured necessary numbers, made calls, and engaged in back-and-forth discussions with the Carmelite Sisters. Finally, a vague promise was made that a decision would be reached by the end of the week.

By Wednesday afternoon we had finished in Railaco, so the next morning, we trundled down the mountain stopping for some photos in a traditional village, to the expansive Jesuit institution at Kasait.

Ensconced in the medical clinic, we unpacked and saw a trickle of patients who magically appeared.  Treating ourselves to a pizza dinner at the nearby Lauhota Beach Bar in the late afternoon we found daylight fading early with a swiftly appearing thunderstorm. Note to self: driving at night is not much fun with other traffic sometimes having no lights and the Sisters’ car headlights powered by votive candles.

Friday saw a full day of children, arriving with their very organised signed parental consent forms.

Still, the decision from the MoH remained elusive. In a stroke of genius, we reached out to the Director of the Maliana Hospital, Dr. Monez. A call was made to the MoH, and later that day, we received the long-awaited good news: we would be welcomed with open arms.

Saturday morning saw the team arrive back at our “home base” in Maubara clinic. Our plan was to only see the orphanage kids and any Sisters that might require some dental attention. We are trying to teach the local community that our two Timorese colleagues are more than competent to treat them and not to wait until the foreigners come before seeking treatment.

Rupa enjoyed looking after her cute little patients before it was time to whizz her into Dili for her flight back to Darwin. In a seamless transition we also picked up Niamh and Ben from the airport with their much needed cargo of gauze. Then back to Maubara we went – it’s becoming a familiar trip with us now knowing the potholes on a first name basis.

We retired up to the peaceful surroundings at the Carmelite stronghold of Fatubese. Perched up on the ridge with lovely views over the ocean, its a pleasant introduction to life on tour for our new crew.

Back to the orphanage for dinner with the highlight being the distribution of presents to the assembled children. There is much excitement as balls are thrown, bubbles blown and T shirts tried on. Good luck getting them to bed early that night!

Sunday morning saw us on the long and adventurous drive to Maliana. It’s quite a picturesque journey, initially following the coast south toward the border with expansive views toward offshore islands and then passing large swathes of rice paddies. Coastal villages whizz by with their slowly drying fish dangling in bunches and newly minted bags of salt set neatly in rows. Children line the road in their Sunday best clothes, returning from church, often walking barefoot and carrying their high heel shoes.

At Batugade the road turns away from the coast and ascends the mountain toward Balibo. Memories of bitumen with a white line are soon forgotten and it’s slow driving with the road no more than a rutted gravel track with some forlorn strips of old tar. 

The reward is a lunch of pizza and beer at the Fort Hotel in Balibo, an unlikely oasis in this rural part of Timor Leste. It’s also an opportunity for our new team members to visit “Australia House” and read the history of the 5 journalists who lost their lives here in 1975. A poignant place that has a small dental surgery attached, supported by dentists and donations from Victoria.

Then it’s back down the other side of the mountain, across the long bridge over the wide pebbled river, skirting the Indonesian border and we arrive into Maliana. With much low rise housing and  plenty of trees, it is hard to see how this is Timor-Leste’s third biggest city.

Met at the hospital by Mia, our friend and local organiser, we were shown to our new clinical home for the next week – the hospital’s new Covid annex, purpose built a couple of years ago it sits unused, full of fancy hospital beds, flushing toilets and air-conditioned. Laying out our instruments and consumables, setting up our portable chairs in this perfect situation it seemed strange that until a couple of days ago the MoH was making our life very difficult.

Accommodation was up the hill at Bethania, a partially used seminary and not a hardship posting. A wide bed, air-con and mozzie screens left Niamh and Ben wondering what I was on about with my pre-team missives about the challenges of life on the road. To Niamh’s relief, we were yet to meet a crocodile, although it was early days.

Our brief for the next 5 days was to screen and treat the children in a local middle school, see the community who invariably arrives after hearing of us on the bush telegraph and minister to the young hospital staff.

Starting early, the team splits into those who start on already-formed queue we encounter as we arrived and those who head to the school in the Troopy.

At school, Ana Tilman works her magic, taking names and ages whilst those with loupes and lights pass down the row of desks, the children standing and opening wide to expose their teeth. Once we had a suitable number for the Troopy ( a number not found in the Toyota manual but we suspect close to 20) they were shepherded outside and transported back to our makeshift clinic. Clasping their small chits inscribed with their fate, they cluster in the hallway under Mia’s watchful eye.

How many kids fit in a troopy? https://vimeo.com/849710805?share=copy

Tuesday saw Dr David leave in a thunderstorm for the long trip back to Dili, an unenviable journey in wet and gloomy conditions. Thankfully, he survived!

By the end of the week we were a well-oiled machine, our favourable working conditions enabling a lot of dentistry to be performed.

Just as Rupa had shown our local colleagues some tips and tricks, Niamh’s oral surgery skills and knowledge provided valuable insights for us all. One lucky banana skin is still in ICU after being put back together in our evening tutorial.

Finishing our school project in the nick of time on the Friday afternoon, we carefully packed up after the last patient, took the obligatory photos with the local dignitaries and got ready to hit the town for a big night out in Maliana. 

For the two Ana’s, this involved a mysterious ritual known as “preperating” that involved hair washing, a selfie, clothes trying on and selection, more selfies, makeup application, a final selfie for the road and then appearing fashionably late! 

An early start on the Saturday for our trip back to Dili enabled us to call into a small orphanage in the Loes area to remove any painful teeth and perform some basic silver fluoride treatments.

We continued on to Maubara to unload the cars, stocktake and sterilise our recently used instruments. Delivering the Sisters’ car back to the Sisters, we farewelled Nico to bike it back to his family in Dili, while we continue on in the Troopy. Those sitting on the rear bench seats discover that leaf springs and potholes make sports bra wearing mandatory. And that was just the for the guys!

Spying a large plot of flat land near the road, Dr Ben provided some driving instruction to Ana Tilman who is becoming more accomplished (or less dangerous) every year.

Foregoing mass, we took a Sunday drive to the Cristo Rei statue with its views over the bay toward Dili before heading back to the airport, delivering the Troopy to Mario, expressing fond farewells and suddenly it’s all over.

Team 2 examined 1126 patients in our two weeks, removed 592 teeth, filled 173 teeth, sealed 470 fissured teeth, silver fluorided at least 520 teeth, and provided a clean for 52 new friends.

In addition, we had Ana Tilman stand in front of various groups of children to provide oral hygiene instruction, whilst in the clinic we pleaded “decrease your sugar intake” and “could you please limit your betel nut chewing to one a day”.

Of course none of this would be possible without those that sponsor us, in particular Henry Schein and Southern Dental Industries ( providers of the wonderful silver fluoride/potassium iodide). Also we operate under the aegis of the Rotary Club of Chatswood / Roseville which provides insurance cover for the team and a mechanism for tax deductible donations to the TLDP.

To all those who have donated, your contributions have been instrumental in supporting education, salaries for our Timorese staff, and the procurement of essential anaesthetics and dental supplies.

timordentalprogram.org/donate-now

Finally, a big shout out to our program coordinator, who finds time in her busy life to marshal the teams, deal with sponsors, herd the cats, grey her hair with bureaucratic dimwittery, point the Carmelites in the right direction, WhatsApp the local crew and occasionally stamp her foot when required. (Thanks Henry-B)

Henry, July 2023

Tales from Timor – reflections from Team 1

Uncategorized, , ,

Team 1’s Aussie contingent returned home 2.5 weeks ago. Team 1 consisted of dentists – Dr Leslie Leong (LL) and Dr Tom Li (Tom); oral health therapists – Ana Tilman (AT), Ana Martins (AM), Nicolau Pires (NP) and Diamantino Morais (TM); and admin organiser, Ana Paula Salgado (AP). Following is an excerpt from the team leader’s (LL) trip report:

Dropping in on the Saturday afternoon, Tom and Leslie were greeted to beautifully cool Dili day. Dili was a ghost town – peaceful, but somewhat unnerving. So election day swept through Timor (almost everyone who lives in Dili isn’t ‘from’ Dili, and has to go back to their home town to vote), which left Tom and LL the luxury of a day’s holiday. This was well-spent on underwater exploration.

On Monday morning, coconut and caffeine hit taken in, we set sail for Maubara. There, we picked up the sister’s Landcruiser, which thankfully was looking in much better nick that 8 months ago. With the two Toyotas at hand, we loaded one Toyota up with dental equipment and the other up with Ana’s (three Ana’s!). With now AM, AP, AT, NP, Tom and LL together, we needed only to sweep up one more (TM) on the way past Gleno, and we were ready to rock and roll.

Image: Team 1 – Left clockwise – Tom, LL, NP, AM, AT, TM, AP)

Up in the mountains made for stunning viewing. We were spoilt with views of the clouds sweeping across the valley while we sat and ate our morning bread and afternoon rice. The sisters were tight on space so the girls stayed with the sisters and the boys stayed in the priest’s guesthouse.

We set up in the clinic beside the church and were treated to an enormous room. Here, the community steadily flowed in. Tom slotted into the Timor rhythm like a seasoned pro. His Tetun for under a week of exposure was impressive! He also got involved in another TLDP tradition: screening and transporting kids from local schools. Does anyone know the Troopie’s max capacity? Tom and AT fit 15 littlies at one point.

Letefoho was super busy. Starting each day at 9am, we frequently powered on to 5-6pm. Extractions were Letefoho’s favourite procedure. They loved it so much that by day 4, we were running out of gauze. A generous donation from the health centre was welcome, and we also boosted supplies by modifying paper towels with a knife and scissors.

AT, NP, Tom and LL shared the duties on the two chairs reserved for restorations. What AT can do with limited materials is absolutely amazing. Her passion to improve a person’s smile is infectious. (Image above: AT performing her magic)

On the third dental chair, AM and TM were tag teaming nicely, with TM providing excellent mentoring along the way. It’s been really noticeable how AM’s extraction skills have improved since the last outreach trip. (Image below: Our longest serving Timorese mentee and volunteer, Tino, now mentoring himself)

AP was our trusty gatekeeper. Although she has been in Fiji the past few years, it really feels like she never left. How did we manage without her? (Image below: AP, organiser extraordinaire)

Three days in Letefoho turned into five. Our final two days were planned for Dukurai (30 min drive from Letefoho), however the sisters organised the Durukai people to travel to Letefoho themselves, saving us the pain of packing up and setting up once more.

The priest’s place was extremely comfortable. Fit with a dining room with million dollar views, and a table tennis table, it was relative luxury. There was the infrequent visit of a rat in Tom’s room, keeping the newbie on his toes [I probably was visited by that rat’s grandmother – Ed].

Each night, the team had dinner at the priest’s place, and then Tom and LL took turns dropping the Ana’s back to the sister’s place in the Landcruiser. Only perhaps a 1.5 kilometre walk, it was treacherous stretch of road. LL found the hard way, going down the wrong stretch of road, and having to reverse back for 400+ metres in the dark with a cliff on one side. Tom however, found out the very hard way, ending up in a ditch. Pulling the Landcruiser out required many, many helpful locals, the cheapest looking rope, crazy good knots, the Troopie, and several hours. Amazingly, no Landcruisers were harmed.

Travel day Sunday and heading back on simply awful roads on the segment from Letefoho to Gleno. We said goodbye to the ever smiling TM (but not before he pinched extra gauze from his health clinic in Gleno for us-thanks Tino) and plowed on. As much as LL and Tom love driving, they were pretty over it by the time we reached Maubara.

Monday struck another surprise. A close family member of Tom’s had fallen ill and he had to fly out later that day to go and see them. Onwards and depleted, a 1.5 hour drive to Lisadilla from Maubara and another 45-60 minutes of setting up, we were feeling slow.

Fortunately, the students of Filadelphia school had surprisingly excellent teeth (apparently a team was there a few years ago) and our workload was kept to a minimum.

Rinse and repeat for the schools of Folara on Tuesday and Wednesday, and the combined 5 hours of driving and setting up/packing down each day had us far more drained than any of the dentistry. Folara’s school however had a curveball.

Walking into our designated room, we were met with a dusty, messy heap that they called a library. It looked like it hasn’t been used in awhile and we soon realised why. Bees were flying through the open wall and had set up 3 lovely bee homes. Nico was more than up for it. Armed with tiny artery forceps, he extracted 3 bee hives, later to find out there were another 3 hives, only bigger. Nico had 4 stings after the rehoming and half a can of Mortein later, we had a bee free working environment. (Image above: Nico, our saviour)

Here we learnt that Thursday is ‘youth day’ and all the kids have the day off school. Got to love Timor’s schedule of public holidays. The team welcomed a day off and celebrated with a hearty bowl of Bakso, sate and many coconuts.

Back in on Friday with a visit to the final Lisadilla school. Nico has been a powerhouse in setting up the clinic day to day. The physical efforts and the efficiency in getting the clinic from the back of the Troopie and functional 45 minutes later is mighty impressive.

Friday flew by and we said goodbye to Lisadilla and those roads. Those roads will not be missed.

Bintangs all round closed out our two weeks in Timor for Team 1. Super proud of the hustle from the team.

A mighty effort from Team 1 and superbly managed by our youngest team leader yet. Well done Leslie. Team 1 saw 756 people, carried out 432 extractions, filled 126 teeth and performed 199 preventive procedures. Well done Team!!

Onto Team 2 – which hits TL soil today.

And the winner is….

Uncategorized

Our charity auction has ended and we are pleased to announce a clear winner! Congratulations to the highest bidder – Patrick Mattu!!! Like many other Indian nationals, Patrick is an extreme cricket enthusiast. He also happens to be a fantastic local dentist, who lives and works in the regional Victorian town of Bendigo. Patrick is now the proud owner of the cricket bat signed by Steve Smith. Thanks for your support, Patrick!!!! 

Auction for our 20th Anniversary!

Uncategorized

UPDATE : auction extended until Thursday 23rd 1600 AEDT
Rare opportunity to help the Timorese people AND own a piece of Australian Cricket memorabilia 

The Aussie cricket team, which is currently touring India, appears to be reinvigorated. 

Some argue that it’s down to the leadership of Steve Smith, the team’s current captain. 

This year, the Timor-Leste Dental Program turns 20!!! It is the longest running dental program in Timor-Leste. 

Our mission continues to improve Timor’s oral health by providing dental services to remote communities and mentoring Timorese health workers.

For our 20th anniversary, Steve has kindly donated a personally-signed cricket bat to raise funds for the Dental Program.

The opportunity to own this collector’s item is via auction on the Timor-Leste Dental Program’s Facebook page @timordentalprogram. 

The auction starts Monday 13th March 1700 AEDT and ends Thursday 23 March 1600 AEDT. 

Please bid generously to help a worthy cause and own a piece of Australian history. 

How it works:

  1. Head to our Facebook page @timordentalprogram
  2. Find the auction post. Handy Hint: It will be the one with the cricket bat picture and the title AUCTION
  3. Go to comments and change the filtering from ‘most relevant’ to ‘newest’. Write your bid for Steve Smith’s bat in the comments.
  4. Bid must be must be $20 more than the previous bid. 
  5. Bidding ends Thursday 23 March 1600 AEDT ( Sydney time).
  6. The bat must be paid for by Monday 27th March 1700 AEDT or it will go to the next highest bidder.
  7. Buyer pays for shipping. The bay is in Sydney, so a pick-up may be possible to organise. If you need a shipping estimate please send us an email timordentalprogram@gmail.com
  8. Once you have won, I will comment on your winning bid to let you know you have won 🙌

Organisational Vs operational: Multi-tasking in Timor

Uncategorized

The third post-Covid team has returned from TL. The last team for the year always has the tough job of winding things up for the year, and planning for the next. Team 3 was led by Dr Mary Tiutiunnik, who was joined by Dr Leslie Leong and Dr Ashul Kaul. 

In what seems to be the theme for 2022, this team spent a lot of time in meetings, and they started on Day 1!  Hindered by road closures for the Dili Marathon, the first meeting of the Australian and Timorese members of the TLDP with the Carmelite leadership was late in the day. This was the first of several meetings to discuss a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the TLDP, Rotary, the Carmelites, and the Timor-Leste Ministry of Health. Meetings in TL are never small affairs, and this one was a party of 9 – the 3 Australian dentists, 2 Timorese dental nurses, Ana Tilman and Nico Pires, the heads of the Carmelite order, Sister Santina and Sister Inacia, the head of the Carmelite clinic in Maubara, Sister Fatima, and translator, Isabel Pereira.  After the meeting, the team then made their way to the Maubara where they spent the night in the air-conditioned comfort of the Retreat House before heading up to Maubisse.

Lunch with the gang

The next day, dental therapists, Nico Pires and Ana Tilman promptly managed the packing of all the dental gear into the cars. After picking up another of our mentees in Liquiça, Tino Morais, who runs the dental clinic in Gleno Hospital, they made their way via the “shortcut” road to Maubisse. They stopped for lunch at Aileu and all agreed that the “shortcut” road was terrible and they would go the long way home the following Saturday. 

On their arrival in Maubisse, they discovered that their Carmelite hosts were not due back until after dinner as they were at a ceremony on Mt Ramelau. They also discovered that Dr Inda, the Maubisse hospital senior dentist who organised the clinics for the next week, was away in Dili visiting her sick mother. At 8 pm that evening when the clinic director, Sister Angelica, returned, she, and Sister Eva informed the team that the road to their first clinic at Manetu was in a bad condition and that they should reconsider going there. Sister Eva did a quick ring around and it was decided that the team’s first two days would be spent at the Franciscan school behind the Maubisse Hospital, the next two days at Maulau as planned, and their last day at the sisters’ Maubisse health clinic. With the sisters’ enthusiastic support and this new plan in place, they all breathed a sigh of relief and happily retired for the night.

Ana Tilman, Rino, a doctor, Armando, the Maubisse hospital co-director, Nico, Sr Angelica, Dr Leslie, Dr Mary, Tino and Imel

On the morning of day 3, Sister Angelica accompanied the team to meet with the Maubisse hospital director. An important part of the program is meeting with other Timorese health staff and building relationships. They met with the co-director of the hospital and discovered that not one, but both, the Maubisse hospital dentists were away. Luckily, the team had the support of the Carmelites to ensure the organisation of their week!

Sister Angelica, Imel, the Carmelite clinic administrator, and Rino the technician joined the team and they set up at the big Franciscan senior and junior high school, Escola Santu Inacio de Loyola and Saõ Paulo.  They were extremely busy and managed to treat every class at this school in two days! Imel and Rino were on loan for the week, so the team was very spoilt with a sterilising person and someone to record all the treatment. 

The team was so efficient that they even had time at the end of the day to explore the market and the Pousada on the hill. As usual, the sisters’ legendary cooking and the cool weather were highlights of a week in Maubisse.

The team at Maulau: Tino, Mr Martins, Nico, Dr Anshul, Rino, Antonio, Ana Tilman
Dr Leslie, Dr Mary, Imel, Sr Miranda and Ana Martins.

On Day 5 the team made their way to Maulau with Sr Eva. They were greeted by one of TL’s best school directors, according to the Timorese – Mr Martins, Director of the Maulau primary school. He stayed with the team throughout their visit ensuring the attendance and good behaviour of the students. He even made sure that the team was fed well, plying them with lunch and snacks! Over the next 2 days, they screened the entire primary school and the high school, treating students, staff, and community members.

On Day 8, the team took the long road home to Maubara. Serendipitously, this allowed a detour to Hatmatek waterfall, and a surprise stop at Ana Tilman`s home to have lunch with her big family (she has 11 siblings). Ana`s family home is about 15 minutes from Dili in a pineapple-growing region, so the lucky team bought a good supply to have back at Maubara.

Previously, teams would visit Black Rock Hotel in Caimeo Beach on their day of rest, but sadly this establishment has now been reclaimed by the sea. Nevertheless, there has been continued investment into the area, which is great to see. Over the last 19 years, the TLDP has seen so much change! On their only day ‘off’ the team headed to the new favourite hangout, Lauhata Beach Escape, for lunch, before Mary met with the Carmelite leadership for another MoU meeting. No rest for the wicked, Mary.

Klinik Maubara

The team spent the next 4 days on the sweltering coast. The first very hot two days were spent at a nearby health centre in Ediri, treating the community. The second very hot two days were spent at our base, the Carmelite Maubara Dental clinic where Nico and Ana are based. They were kept very busy treating children from the school down the road, as well as the Carmelites and the community.

The Australian contingent team were flying out on Friday, and Mary had yet another meeting on Friday in Dili with the sisters about the MoU, so the clinical week ended on Thursday. At the end of their second week Team 3 had examined 673 patients, extracted 402 teeth, filled 206 teeth, and performed 184 preventative procedures in some very challenging conditions. Good work team!