A partnership which began with pathology support has grown into development programs for Timorese healthcare workers across the past 20 years.
St John of God Health Care began working with Timor-Leste’s Ministry of Health in 2004 on a pathology development program for better access to timely, accurate diagnostic information at Timor’s National Laboratory and Hospital Nacional Guido Valadares (HNGV).
In 2010, the commitment expanded to a nursing development program, based at HNGV, to improve the quality of patient care across hospitals in Timor-Leste.
Celebrating the 20th anniversary of the partnership, St John of God Health Care CEO Bryan Pyne said the focus was on building the capacity of Timorese nurses, midwives and healthcare leaders through programs focused on leadership and governance, quality and standards, and learning and development including clinical mentoring and support.
“At the heart of our work is a commitment to transform patient care in Timor-Leste hospitals through the delivery of compassionate, patient-centred care,” Mr Pyne said.
“As a Catholic organisation, many of our values are aligned with the values of the HNGV.”
For the past 10 years, every nurse and midwife at the HNGV has undertaken a St John of God Health Care training program and 134 health managers from across Timor-Leste have attended leadership training.
“We are extremely proud to see the difference our capacity strengthening approach has made to the care patients at the HNGV and other healthcare facilities receive,” Mr Pyne said.
“Last year we launched our Core Competency Program at Maubisse Hospital following groundwork we had done in leadership and quality over the previous three years.
“This represents an exciting expansion of our programs into the Municipal Referral Hospitals and the next evolution of our work with the Ministry of Health supporting the delivery of quality, compassionate healthcare for the people of Timor-Leste.”
A celebration for the 20-year anniversary was held for around 100 people at the Presidential Palace in August.