Teamwork at UN hospital

By Capt Sarah Hawke
COOPERATION between Australian and Thailand medical teams at the new United Nations Hospital in Dili is helping strengthen medical support to the UN Mission in East Timor.

The UN Hospital opened in late August and replaced the former UN Military Hospital that had two and a half years of distinguished service provided by contingents from Australia, Egypt and Singapore.

Thailand has taken on the health support role at the new UN Hospital, providing level two medical care to UN civilian and military personnel in East Timor.

The Australian medical team had been flown in temporarily from AUSBATT, in the west of the country, to strengthen the hospital’s medical capability following an increased security threat.

The opportunity was taken by the five Australians and 40 Thai personnel to carry out combined resuscitation training and a mass causality exercise.

Capt Linda Rae is one of the Australian medical team personnel working at the UN Hospital.

Posted as the officer in charge of the operating theatre at 2HSB in Brisbane, Capt Rae is serving as a nurse with the Health Supplementation Team supporting AUSBATT in East Timor.

Reserve Orthopedic Surgeon, Lt-Col Andrew Ellis, 1HSB was the medical officer in charge of the Australian team.