Springs Medical has a long history of sponsoring and supporting health activity in East Timor (Timor Leste). Dr Greg Stewart, Dr Greg Malcher and Dr Beth Quin have been involved in volunteering at the Triloka Clinic about 10 km from Baucau, Timor Leste’s second largest city.

The Triloka Clinic is part of The Good Crocodile Foundation (Fundação Lafaek Diak - FLD) a locally-run grassroots non-profit community development agency established in 2006. FLD also provides training for mechanics and small businesses. In addition to its daily activities at the Triloka village clinic, FLD provides five outreach clinics conducted in isolated communities up to an hour’s drive from Triloka.
 
This clinic provides community-based health care to approximately 15,000 people. There is an emphasis on training local community health workers and providing community health education to increase the capacity of the villagers to live their lives in a more healthy way. Over the past few years it has expanded to also provide midwifery services to the local community. The usual staffing for the clinic is by local nurses and health workers, aided from time to time by overseas volunteer doctors, nurses and other workers.
 
A limited amount of support for the Triloka clinic is provided by the Timor Leste Health Department, but there is a continuing need for external financial and professional support. Those of us from Springs Medical who have visited the Triloka clinic are very confident that our donations are making a big impact on helping improve the health of rural people in one of the poorest countries. Ongoing fundraising at Springs Medical will provide future support.

For more information check out The Good Crocodile Foundation