Lt Rachaul Manning, 1RAR Bn Gp, takes time after a health clinic in the Bobanaro district to show local children the world is theirs. Photo by Cpl Sean Burton, Army newspaper

Health care comes to remote districts

By Capt Sarah Hawke
As the RAAMC and RAANC celebrate 100 years, personnel from both corps are helping build a better East Timorese health infrastructure as part of Op Citadel.

Like many villages in the remote mountains of East Timor, Rairobo, in the Bobanaro District, is only accessible by four-wheel drive or on foot. It is these types of communities that are targeted by Op Walsh.

Op Walsh is part of the Australian Battalion Group’s Civil Military Cooperation program (CIMIC) and involves personnel from CIMIC, Health Supplementation Team and the RAP. Most of the health personnel are from 1RAR in Townsville.

Earlier this year, CIMIC patrols found a number of villages with cases of malnutrition, preventable sickness and general poor health issues, a result of poor roads preventing the access to treatment.

After a number of meetings, the CIMIC personnel gained village support for Australian medical personnel to come into Rairobo to help with Regional Area Health Clinics and develop skills and initiatives that could be maintained by the local people.

CO CIMIC Maj Mitch Kennedy said some of the clinics are in very remote areas.

“The local population don’t have access to normal health services,” he said.

“The purpose of this clinic is to provide assistance and training to the local East Timorese health service.”

Rairobo is being used as a test case for other remote villages. Thus far a team of ADF medical personnel and East Timorese Health personnel have made two long dusty trips with enough medical equipment to carry out vaccinations and general health checks for the local population.

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