The Road to Same (pronounced “Samay”)
On 24 August, the Ministry of Health of Timor-Leste organized a field visit for me, in my capacity as Project Coordinator for the Monaco Red Cross, Prince Rainier III Maternity Clinic. The Road to Same was long and bumpy yet breathtaking, filled with dramatic landscapes. It took four hours from the capital city of Dili, with one rest stop.
When we arrived at the District Administrator’s office, we had a quick introduction before a briefing was presented to me on the status of maternal health. Present were midwives and equipment technicians.
After the briefing we toured the existing Community Health Clinic followed by a meeting with local pregnant women varying in pregnancy months. One of the critical issues for women in Timor-Leste is breaking the tradition of birthing at home. In many cases, it is out of necessity because medical facilities are too far away - the terrain in Timor is rugged, mountainous and there is a lack of transportation. Most people in rural areas walk to where they need to go, if they are lucky they have a motorbike. The second aspect is convincing the mother to seek supervised medical attention. The Ministry of Health has started a wide spread campaign to this end with their department of Mother-Child Health.
In this vein, I was able to ask the local women about how many children they had and if they will use the Monaco Red Cross Clinic. I explained why the Monaco Red Cross chose to engage in this project - It is important to not only have the infrastructure of a dedicated maternity clinic, but that the facility has an impact in the community for future generations. The feedback was positive and those present assured me that they would indeed use the clinic. I asked them for their assistance in spreading the importance of neonatal, maternal, and post natal care for the mother and child.
The Monaco Red Cross Project is second in a series of new initiatives for the Ministry of Health in Timor-Leste. By having a dedicated clinic, specifically for neonatal, maternal and immediate post natal care, women will have more of an incentive to seek medical assistance. The Maternity Clinic will be run by a network of volunteer midwives. In my meeting with women, I learned that all of those present received training with Indonesian schools for 4 years and have been practicing on an average of 10 years.
One of the concerns of the pregnant women was to be able to expand the capacity of midwives and training new ones, especially with a growing population – a valid concern.
Next on the agenda was a visit to the Prince Rainier III Maternity Clinic. The building is nearly completed. The construction company is finalizing the interior work and the next phase is to procure the equipment. The Clinic will accommodate up to 6 inpatient women in a small ward. There are pre-birthing rooms and one birthing room, offices and bathrooms. The clinic is adequate to service the 25,000 inhabitants of the sub district in which it resides. The clinic is expected to be completed before the end of 2006.
The visit to Same was concluded with a lunch with all of the participants.
When we arrived at the District Administrator’s office, we had a quick introduction before a briefing was presented to me on the status of maternal health. Present were midwives and equipment technicians.
After the briefing we toured the existing Community Health Clinic followed by a meeting with local pregnant women varying in pregnancy months. One of the critical issues for women in Timor-Leste is breaking the tradition of birthing at home. In many cases, it is out of necessity because medical facilities are too far away - the terrain in Timor is rugged, mountainous and there is a lack of transportation. Most people in rural areas walk to where they need to go, if they are lucky they have a motorbike. The second aspect is convincing the mother to seek supervised medical attention. The Ministry of Health has started a wide spread campaign to this end with their department of Mother-Child Health.
In this vein, I was able to ask the local women about how many children they had and if they will use the Monaco Red Cross Clinic. I explained why the Monaco Red Cross chose to engage in this project - It is important to not only have the infrastructure of a dedicated maternity clinic, but that the facility has an impact in the community for future generations. The feedback was positive and those present assured me that they would indeed use the clinic. I asked them for their assistance in spreading the importance of neonatal, maternal, and post natal care for the mother and child.
The Monaco Red Cross Project is second in a series of new initiatives for the Ministry of Health in Timor-Leste. By having a dedicated clinic, specifically for neonatal, maternal and immediate post natal care, women will have more of an incentive to seek medical assistance. The Maternity Clinic will be run by a network of volunteer midwives. In my meeting with women, I learned that all of those present received training with Indonesian schools for 4 years and have been practicing on an average of 10 years.
One of the concerns of the pregnant women was to be able to expand the capacity of midwives and training new ones, especially with a growing population – a valid concern.
Next on the agenda was a visit to the Prince Rainier III Maternity Clinic. The building is nearly completed. The construction company is finalizing the interior work and the next phase is to procure the equipment. The Clinic will accommodate up to 6 inpatient women in a small ward. There are pre-birthing rooms and one birthing room, offices and bathrooms. The clinic is adequate to service the 25,000 inhabitants of the sub district in which it resides. The clinic is expected to be completed before the end of 2006.
The visit to Same was concluded with a lunch with all of the participants.
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posted by Claudia Abate at 3:53 AM
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