Tag Archives: dental program east timor

Container Arrives Unscathed

April 11, 2015Uncategorizedcontainer, container to Dili, Daryl Mills, dental equipment, dental materials, dental program east timor, dental team, Dili, Father Bong, Jesuit Mission, Keith Mentiplay, Railaco, roads, rotary, Timor LesteProgram Coordinator

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.

MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM THE TLDP

December 17, 2014UncategorizedAndy Moran, Blanche Tsetong, christmas greetings, David Digges, David Sheen, dental aid, dental program east timor, dental team, dental volunteers, Father Bong, Geoff Knight, Gordon Howe, Gordon Saggers, Keith Mentiplay, Maubara, merry christmas, Peter Shakes, Railaco, Riva Star, rotary international, sdi, volunteer, volunteer overseas, Wayne PearsonProgram Coordinator

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.

As 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.

We 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

October 27, 2014UncategorizedAbbott, Aid and Development, Blanche Tsetong, chatswood rotary, cheque, David Digges, David Sheen, dental aid, dental equipment, dental program east timor, michael mcquillon, peter kindred, volunteersProgram Coordinator

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)

The lucky team returns!

October 4, 2014UncategorizedAid and Development, Anneli Knight, bobonaro, dental caries, dental equipment, dental health, dental program east timor, dental volunteers, Geoff Knight, Hans Raets, high need population, Potassium Iodide, remote, Silver Fluoride, Timor Leste, Yvonne Huijser van reenenProgram Coordinator

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!

That 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.

In 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!

Despite 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!

August 20, 2014UncategorizedAid and Development, Anneli Knight, bobonaro, dental aid, dental equipment, dental program east timor, dental volunteers, East Timor, Geoff Knight, Geoffrey Knight, Hans Raets, overseas aid, volunteer, Yvonne Huijser van reenenProgram Coordinator

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!

TEAM 3 to test drive NEW TROOPIE!

The program has had a stroke of luck – we have managed to procure a 2011 Toyota Landcruiser Troop Carrier which is already in TL!! Previously owned by another NGO, Seeds of Life, the ‘new’ troopie (T2) has been paid for (thanks to a loan from our Lions partners), registered and insured – a process which has taken 2 months – just in the nick of time for Team 3 to test drive it when they arrive next week! A massive thankyou to Daryl Mills, RAWCS’s man on the ground, ROMAC coordinator and great mate, for doing all the grunt work and making T2 a reality. Without him we wouldn’t have even known a vehicle was coming up for sale! Thanks Daryl!! (For those unfamiliar with the acronyms, RAWCS = Rotary Australia World Community Service, and ROMAC = Rotary Oceania Medical Aid for Children. GO to http://www.rawcs.com.au and http://www.romac.org.au for more info on these worthy organisations)

Team 3 consists of Dr Blanche Tsetong, who is in the process of moving back to the madness of Sydney from the glorious Sunshine Coast, and newcomer, Dr Linda Velosky, who has a practice in Redfern. This very small team will be heading to the hills in their second week in TL – to the town of Maubisse, much loved by the colonial Portuguese in the hot, dry months. While it basks in the sun in the morning, Maubisse is usually shrouded in thick cloud by midday, becoming a town of shadow and mist. Cold. V cold. Bring your Ugg boots girls!

PROGRAM BUDGET UPDATE

June 27, 2014Uncategorizeddental equipment, dental materials, dental program east timor, donations, program budget, supplies, Timor LesteProgram Coordinator

It costs $15000 each year to run the program.

This money contributes towards the salaries of local Timorese workers, dental materials and consumables, the purchase of new dental equipment, and the maintenance of used dental equipment, our vehicle and the fixed clinic in Maubara.

This year has been even pricier due to the need for a new vehicle ($25000). Now Team 2 reports that our 10 year old dental compressor, with a price tag of $3800, is on its last legs, having just survived its last repair.

Timor-Leste Dental Program

Aussie dental teams supporting oral health in Timor-Leste

Tag Archives: dental program east timor

Container Arrives Unscathed

MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM THE TLDP

MONEY MATTERS

The lucky team returns!

Final 2014 Team READY!

TEAM 3 to test drive NEW TROOPIE!

PROGRAM BUDGET UPDATE

It costs $15000 each year to run the program.

This money contributes towards the salaries of local Timorese workers, dental materials and consumables, the purchase of new dental equipment, and the maintenance of used dental equipment, our vehicle and the fixed clinic in Maubara.

This year has been even pricier due to the need for a new vehicle ($25000). Now Team 2 reports that our 10 year old dental compressor, with a price tag of $3800, is on its last legs, having just survived its last repair.

SO THIS YEAR the program needs $43800 in total.

AT LAST COUNT THIS MEANS WE ARE $23620 SHORT OF OUR GOAL!

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It costs $15000 each year to run the program.

This money contributes towards the salaries of local Timorese workers, dental materials and consumables, the purchase of new dental equipment, and the maintenance of used dental equipment, our vehicle and the fixed clinic in Maubara.

This year has been even pricier due to the need for a new vehicle ($25000). Now Team 2 reports that our 10 year old dental compressor, with a price tag of $3800, is on its last legs, having just survived its last repair.

SO THIS YEAR the program needs $43800 in total.

AT LAST COUNT THIS MEANS WE ARE $23620 SHORT OF OUR GOAL!

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