• Home
  • About
  • Advocacy
  • Careers
  • Donate
  • Contact
  • Library
  • Sign In
RACS logo

  • Become a surgeon
  • Trainees
  • Fellows
  • SIMGs
  • Research & audit

Key Information

  • About specialist surgeons
  • How do I become a surgeon?
  • Selection process and requirements
  • Admission to Fellowship
  • International surgical training
  • View all

Resources

  • eLearning courses & resources
  • College events
  • Interest groups and sections
  • Scholarships and grants

Key Information

  • Trainee Association (RACSTA)
  • The surgical training program
  • Surgical specialties
  • Examinations
  • Training post accreditation
  • View all

Education for Trainees

  • Skills training courses
  • eLearning courses & resources
  • Specialist training program
  • Library
  • View all

Resources

  • Training standards for surgeons
  • Surgeon wellbeing
  • College events
  • Interest groups and sections
  • Access Morbidity Audit and Logbook Tool (MALT)
  • View all

Key Information and resources

  • 'Find a Surgeon' & 'practice card'
  • Continuing Professional Development (CPD)
  • Reports, guidelines & publications
  • Fellowship
  • Interest groups and sections
  • View all

Fellowship Education and Training

  • eLearning courses & resources
  • Skills training courses
  • Surgeon wellbeing
  • Professional development courses
  • Library
  • View all

For supervisors, educators and trainers

  • Academy of Surgical Educators
  • Supervisor Support Hub
  • RACS skills & education centre
  • Become a mentor
  • Post-fellowship training
  • View all

Key Information

  • Pathways
  • SET as a SIMG
  • SIMG overview
  • Application process
  • SIMG assessments
  • View all

Education for SIMGs

  • eLearning courses & resources
  • Skills training courses
  • Professional development courses
  • Library

Resources

  • Surgeon wellbeing
  • Maintenance of Professional Standards
  • Contacts, guidelines and forms
  • Member benefits & services
  • Access Morbidity Audit and Logbook Tool (MALT)

Key Information

  • Surgical mortality audits
  • Morbidity audits
  • Research & Evaluation, inc. ASERNIP-S
  • Laparoscopic skills training
  • Trauma Verification program
  • View all

Resources

  • Access Morbidity Audit and Logbook Tool (MALT)
  • My audits
  • College events
  • Interest groups and sections
  • Books & merchandise
  • View all
RACS logo
  • RACS login
    Sign In
  • Become a surgeon
    • Key Information

      Key Information

      • About specialist surgeons
      • How do I become a surgeon?
      • Selection process and requirements
      • Admission to Fellowship
      • International surgical training
      • View all
    • Resources

      Resources

      • eLearning courses & resources
      • College events
      • Interest groups and sections
      • Scholarships and grants
  • Trainees
    • Key Information

      Key Information

      • Trainee Association (RACSTA)
      • The surgical training program
      • Surgical specialties
      • Examinations
      • Training post accreditation
      • View all
    • Education for Trainees

      Education for Trainees

      • Skills training courses
      • eLearning courses & resources
      • Specialist training program
      • Library
      • View all
    • Resources

      Resources

      • Training standards for surgeons
      • Surgeon wellbeing
      • College events
      • Interest groups and sections
      • Access Morbidity Audit and Logbook Tool (MALT)
      • View all
  • Fellows
    • Key Information

      Key Information and resources

      • 'Find a Surgeon' & 'practice card'
      • Continuing Professional Development (CPD)
      • Reports, guidelines & publications
      • Fellowship
      • Interest groups and sections
      • View all
    • Fellowship Education and Training

      Fellowship Education and Training

      • eLearning courses & resources
      • Skills training courses
      • Surgeon wellbeing
      • Professional development courses
      • Library
      • View all
    • For Educators and Trainers

      For supervisors, educators and trainers

      • Academy of Surgical Educators
      • Supervisor Support Hub
      • RACS skills & education centre
      • Become a mentor
      • Post-fellowship training
      • View all
  • SIMGs
    • Key Information

      Key Information

      • Pathways
      • SET as a SIMG
      • SIMG overview
      • Application process
      • SIMG assessments
      • View all
    • Education for IMGs

    • Resources

      Resources

      • Surgeon wellbeing
      • Maintenance of Professional Standards
      • Contacts, guidelines and forms
      • Member benefits & services
      • Access Morbidity Audit and Logbook Tool (MALT)
  • Research & audit
    • Key Information

      Key Information

      • Surgical mortality audits
      • Morbidity audits
      • Research & Evaluation, inc. ASERNIP-S
      • Laparoscopic skills training
      • Trauma Verification program
      • View all
    • Resources

      Resources

      • Access Morbidity Audit and Logbook Tool (MALT)
      • My audits
      • College events
      • Interest groups and sections
      • Books & merchandise
      • View all
  • Home
  • About
  • Media
  • Careers
  • Donate
  • Contact
  • Library
In This Section
  • ATLASS II Program
  • East Timor Eye Program
  • RACS Global Health Timor-Leste Country Strategic Plan (CSP) 2022 - 2027
  • Strengthening Primary and Secondary Eye Care Services in Timor-Leste and COVID-19 Pivot Project
  1. HOME
  2. About RACS
  3. Global Health
  4. Global Health programs
  5. Timor-Leste programs
  6. Strengthening Primary and Secondary Eye Care Services in Timor-Leste and COVID-19 Pivot

Strengthening Primary and Secondary Eye Care Services in Timor-Leste and COVID-19 Pivot Project

Information about the Strengthening Primary and Secondary Eye Care Services in Timor-Leste and COVID-19 Pivot Project.

On this page

  • Project overview
  • Project objectives
  • Project activities
  • Impact
  • Project duration
  • Supporters

Project overview

The project aims to expand primary and secondary eye care services and facilitate early diagnosis and management of neglected ocular disease in Timor-Leste, through training primary eye care workers and essential equipment procurement.  As vision loss in diabetics tends to occur in the working population, screening programs and early intervention have been shown to be economically beneficial to the community. This is most successful when centred around timely referrals, appropriate and accessible treatment and an emphasis on good primary care and integration into existing infrastructure. The project sits under the broader RACS East Timor Eye Program, with the overarching goal to reduce preventable blindness in Timor-Leste. 

In 2020, the project pivoted to help the Timor-Leste health sector respond to the COVID-19 global pandemic.

Project objectives

Recent studies indicate that while untreated cataract and refractive error remain the primary causes of vision impairment and blindness, vision deterioration due to diabetic retinopathy and other posterior segment disease is increasing. 

The objectives of this project are to:

  • increase the identification, diagnosis and management of diabetic retinopathy in Timor-Leste;
  • increase eye screening and ophthalmic services for rural and remote Timorese populations; and
  • assist Timor-Leste health sector respond to COVID-19 pandemic.


Project activities

Some of the key project activities and outputs:

  • Procurement of essential diagnostic equipment and training of community doctors to screen for diabetic retinopathy in Timorese patients.
  • Support for the Timorese eye faculty to deliver outreach screening and clinical services to rural and remote populations in Los Palos and Suai districts.
  • Fabrication and installation of 20 vital signs monitors and 40 patient bed dividers in the national hospital emergency department, triage tent and the government isolation and treatment facilities to better monitor COVID-19 cases.

Impact

The broader East Timor Eye Program (ETEP) is developing a comprehensive nation-wide and sustainable eye health system that increases community access to high quality, affordable primary, secondary and tertiary eye care services for the Timorese population. This project plays a critical role by increasing the capacity of the national eye health system to identify and treat diabetic retinopathy cases, which were previously undiagnosed in Timor-Leste.

COVID-19 pivot

Where there were previously no vital signs monitors available for observing COVID-19 cases in Timor-Leste, the installation of the new machines and patient bed dividers in the hospital and isolation facilities is contributing to improved patient monitoring and infection prevention control. To borrow machines from the national hospital wards would mean that normal hospital services would suffer. Supplying these machines allows COVID-19 patients to be properly monitored and regular hospital services to continue as normal.

 

Project duration

July 2019 – June 2020.

Supporters

Supported by:

  • The Australian Government through the Australian NGO Cooperation Program (ANCP)
  • RACS Foundation for Surgery

In partnership with: 

  • Timor-Leste Ministry of Health
  • Hospital Nacional Guido Valadares
 

AusAid logo

Back to Timor-Leste programs
  • ATLASS II Program
  • East Timor Eye Program
  • RACS Global Health Timor-Leste Country Strategic Plan (CSP) 2022 - 2027
  • Strengthening Primary and Secondary Eye Care Services in Timor-Leste and COVID-19 Pivot Project
Back To Top

  • For Patients
  • Find a surgeon

  • Home
  • About
  • Media
  • Careers
  • Donate
  • Contact
  • Library
  • Sign in

  • About RACS
  • About the College of Surgeons
  • About RACS offices
  • Global Health
  • Specialty societies & affiliated organisations
  • Surgeon wellbeing
  • Building Respect
  • College fees
  • Position papers
  • Policies
  • College events

  • Education
  • Skills training courses
  • Professional Development
  • eLearning courses & resources
  • Specialist Training Program

  • Become a Surgeon
  • About specialist surgeons
  • How do I become a surgeon?
  • Selection requirements
  • International surgical training
  • Admission to Fellowship
  • Fellowship
See all News

  • Surgical training in crisis: "We're at the tipping point"
  • NSW road users put at risk in pre-election promises
  • Precision health
Indigenous motifs
Logo

  • Disclaimer and privacy