Celebrating 20 years of ETEP

RACS Global Health celebrates the 20- year anniversary of the East Timor Eye Program with his Excellency President José Ramos-Horta

The RACS Global Health team were honoured to meet with his Excellency President José Ramos-Horta to celebrate and launch the 20-year anniversary of the East Timor Eye Program book. Dr Horta is an advocate of the East Timor Eye Program (ETEP), providing political support and advocacy for this critical program over many years. The ETEP is now well integrated in the national health system of Timor Leste. Based in Dili and at the National Eye Centre in Hospital Nationale Guido Valdares (HNGV), the program continues to be supported by Dr Manoj Sharma, the RACS Global Health resident ophthalmologist. The program commenced in 2000, when Professor Nitin Verma (RANZCO president) began treating an influx of East Timorese refugees at the Royal Darwin Hospital eye clinic. He was contacted by the World Health Organization (WHO) in relation to plans for the provision of eye care in Timor-Leste. Eager to get involved, Dr Verma made his first trip to Timor-Leste in 2000. During his visit, Professor Verma negotiated with the Red Cross team stationed there. They offered to provide basic accommodation if he returned with a small team of eye specialists. Thus, the East Timor Eye Program (ETEP) was born. On the 20th anniversary of the ETEP book (2021), Dr Horta said: “As I recall, before the program, there was not a single ophthalmologist in Timor-East, and there were zero activities in terms of looking after people with cataracts, not to mention other far more serious eyesight complications. And so, I thought it was great, it was a priority, in that it met the needs of our people. So, I was, from the outset, extremely pleased with the program, welcoming the doctors from RACS who came here a few times a year to do surgery. For me it has been one of the most successful programs since our independence within the health sector.” Over the next few years, the program grew and became part of the RACS Global Health program, enabling the Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) funding. In 2005, the next stage of the program begun. Encouraged by the political and medical leaders of Timor-Leste, Dr Verma and RACS Global Health started planning to build an integrated and sustainable program and infrastructure for eye care in Timor Leste.

Twenty years later the ETEP has supported the training of 14 fully qualified Timor Leste ophthalmologists. It has also enabled the treatment of complex eye conditions and recovered sight of thousands of Timorese patients. The program is fully integrated into the national health system, enabling national work force capacity, and implemented by Timorese doctors, surgeons, nurses, and allied health professionals. As Professor Verma notes, he and his international team of eye surgeons no longer conduct surgical visits as the new wave of East Timor health professionals take on clinics and surgical procedures. For Dr Verma this is a sign of great success and a key indicator that the program’s journey towards sustainability is well underway. RACS Global Health would like to thank His Excellency Dr Ramos Horta, Professor Nitin Verma, Dr Manoj Sharma and the RACS Timor Leste country office team for their ongoing support and coordination of this important program. If you would like to learn more about the East Timor Eye Program and the 20year anniversary book visit: https://bit. ly/3uliBvo

Left to right: Janvario Gusmao (RACS Global Health Officer), Philippa Nicholson (RACS Head of Global Health Operations), HE José Ramos-Horta (President, Timor Leste), and Dr Manoj Sharma (RACS Global Health Resident Ophthalmologist)