Staff Stories – Maluk Timor

Sitting down with Dr Jeremy

Last month, Maluk Timor was lucky to have a visit from some of the Australian Board and some volunteers to our office in Dili. Dr Jeremy Beckett, the previous CEO and current Chair of the Medical Advisory Committee for Maluk Timor, was part of this group. We had a chance to sit down to talk […]

Nurse Educator – You are so young – what can we learn from you?

One of the most rewarding things we can do in the health sector in Timor Leste – is to strengthen it. We all know that a stronger health system means a healthier country. Upskilling doctors and nurses is making real and permanent change. Meet Guerson, a nurse educator working with our Nursing Training/COVID Programme. Guerson […]

Health starts from your mouth – Meet Dr Ximenes – Maluk Timor’s Dentist

I always wanted to be an architect – I just loved drawing things. I enrolled at UNPAZ (University of Peace in Dili) to study Architecture, but in my third semester, the Ministry of Education opened a scholarship programme with Brazil. There were no architect courses, but there were courses to study to be a Dentist. […]

The Lois and Raj story – he said she said….

Reluctant to talk about themselves, I finally found some time in their busy schedules to find out more about the Lois and Raj story and how they came to be at the helm of Maluk Timor. She Said – Lois’s Story While small in stature, Lois exudes energy, warmth and humour. She is everywhere – […]

Tales of Dr Hip and his trusty security guard

I stumbled across Dr Hip at Maluk Timor when Maun Aga asked me to take a photo of Dr Hip collecting his rural doctor’s bag. These high-quality kits contain sturdy, essential equipment heavily subsidized by generous donors with a heart for Rural GPs. Everyone I am meeting have great stories to tell, so I asked […]

What does the fastest woman (& volunteer) in Timor have to say…

Hear what one of our long term volunteers, Jess Harries – public health nurse and fastest woman in Timor! – has to say about the pride she has for our Maluk, and the big year we’ve had in 2019. There are many achievements to celebrate, but the thing that made me the happiest when looking […]

Making HIV patients feel safe and valued: Beatriz’s story

The first time Beatriz* started taking treatment for HIV was around a year ago. She stopped taking it after just two days. In Timor Leste, the anti-viral tablet we usually prescribe for HIV frequently causes nausea, nightmares and dizziness. A year ago, Beatriz had no idea what her side effects meant. Crucially, nobody told her […]

Improving maternal HIV screening

Procession of the pink plastic table to its new home in the antenatal clinic. You might think that this is a cheap plastic table with some laminated cards tied on with pieces of string. You wouldn’t be wrong about that. What might not be obvious to a casual observer is that this fluorescent pink creation […]

A Maluk approach to starting a HIV program

The team: Madalena, Nina, Eleanor, Dircia, Alfredo, Ano and Odilia. Sitting on the floor of Office World surrounded by stationery, I am overcome with doubt. Dircia and I have been here for the last half hour, and I am now certain that the wrong choice of file divider will mean the ruination of our HIV […]

Heavy rain doesn’t dampen spirits at the HIV clinic

Our HIV clinic was flooded last week. One learns to expect rain in the rainy season, but the downpour on the weekend saw much of Dili under water. By the time I had sloshed my way into work on Monday, my ultra-efficient team had already dispatched most of the mud. We were open for business […]

From country Victoria to Timor-Leste: doctors share their story

In 2018, Drs Lindsay and Dianne Sherriff farewelled their home and country practice of 25 years in Kerang, Victoria and set out on a new chapter in Timor-Leste. For Dianne this was the fulfilment of a lifelong dream that began with a visit to Timor-Leste as a school girl. She and her husband Lindsay had […]

Category: Staff Stories