Volunteer Orientation Information

Below is some information that will help you prepare for your volunteer orientation at Bairo Pite Clinic in Dili, Timor-Leste.

Dili | Med Student's Day at Clinic | Things to Bring | Accommodation

Dili

Dili is relatively expensive compared to other places in South East Asia due to the large UN presence.

• Money  The currency in East Timor is in US Dollars. There is an ANZ bank branch in Dili and a number of ATM machines throughout Dili. You will need a card, such as a Visa or Debit card, to withdraw money. Check with your bank first to ensure you can withdraw overseas.

• Visa  (US) $30 is payable on arrival at Dili airport for a 3 month visa so bring US cash with you as credit is not readily available in East Timor.

• Taxis  Dili airport is about 15 minutes drive from the clinic. The clinic can send a driver to pick you up form the airport otherwise a taxi costs $5–10. To travel by taxi around Dili it will cost between $1–2 depending on how far you are travelling. Taxi’s can be difficult to flag after dark and you will pay more if you are lucky to find one.

• Lunch  Lunch will cost between $1–5. There are a few places to eat near the clinic. Two restaurants are across the street from Marie Stokes and say Nasi Goreng on the wall and another is about a 3 minute walk past Marie Stokes on the same side of the road. It has a purple door.

• Safety  The biggest risk in Dili is probably being involved in a traffic accident. Basic precautions will ensure personal safety in East Timor. It is generally considered not safe for a malae (foreigner) woman to walk around alone after dark. Generally though, it is very safe to walk around during the day.

• Email/Internet  There are a number of commercial places where you can access the internet which ranges from $1 to $6 per hour.

• Mobile phones  There are virtually no landlines in East Timor so it is a good idea to bring a mobile phone handset but make sure you have it unlocked first. A sim-card can be purchased from Timor Telecom for $20.

• Clothing  Dili is more liberal than the districts where women are expected to wear clothes that cover their shoulders and pants or skirt below the knee. Men should never go shirtless. Generally, it is better to err on the conservative side. In Dili, malae (foreigners) do wear western swimmers at the beach while the Timorese wear shorts and t-shirts.

• Weather  Dili is hot all year round but it can get very cold overnight in the central districts so if staying overnight in the districts, bring something warm. The wet season is approximately from January to April, and dry season from May to December.

• Health  Malaria and dengue are not uncommon in East Timor so it is a good idea to bring a mosquito net and mosquito repellent. Cheap nylon mosquito nets can be purchased for around $5. The usual precautions with food and water apply.

• Language  The official languages in East Timor is Tetun and Portuguese although you will most likely not hear much Portuguese being spoken on the streets. Other languages are Indonesian and English.

• Cultural tips  East Timor is a religious place and there is a strong sense of loyalty to the Catholic Church. You won’t be expected to follow Catholic practices but you will be expected to respect the religious beliefs of the East Timorese.

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typical day at the clinic (medical students)

The day starts at 8am with ward rounds which takes between 1-1.5 hours. There is a small maternity unit of 9 beds, and 33 Inpatient beds. The most common presentation is TB. Dr Dan leads the ward round, frequently asking students questions. The medical students then leave for the mobile clinic with a translator and nurse where they travel to districts up to 3 hours drive away. Travel can take this long due to the quality of the roads.

Upon arrival to the districts, the medical students see the patients who have turned up for the clinic and prescribe the treatment they feel is appropriate. Only a fairly limited number of drugs are taken to these clinics and no investigations are available so diagnosis is entirely clinical. On return from the mobile clinic, the medical students lead an afternoon ward round and report back to Dr Dan. The day is usually finished by 6pm. Sundays start at 9am with a longer teaching ward round, which is often joined by other doctors who are working in Dili at the time. This finishes around noon, and the rest of the day is free.

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things to bring with you

It is suggested you bring the following with you:

• Oxford handbook of Tropical medicine

• MPR or pharmacopeia reference eg BNF is very useful

• Internal medicine pocket book eg Oxford Handbook of clinical medicine or Harrison’s pocket book

• Red book for obstetrics/gynecology

• A good quality stethoscope

• Ophthalmoscope

• Pen torch

• Lonely Planet Tetun phrasebook is quite useful and cheap. Try to learn some Tetun before you come, particularly some basic symptoms to make consulting easier. A Tetun/English medical guide document will also be emailed to you.

The clinic is always in need of supplies such as basic stationary, single sheets, pillows, pillow cases, plastic sheets for bedding etc, so anything you may be able to fit in your suitcase would be appreciated but please check with administration first.

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accommodation

Unfortunately, accommodation in Dili is fairly scarce, and accommodation of a certain standard is even scarcer. The clinic is only looking for places for volunteers for 6 weeks to a few months, and we are in competition with UN and INGO staff who can rent places for one or two years. Below is a selection of places to stay.

Houses

Perunas, Bairo Pite
Perunas is a house run by Madre Lourdes’ organization, IS-MAIK and is about a 10 minute walk to the clinic. Madre Lourdes was one of the founders of the clinic and runs an organization with projects all over Timor-Leste. She broke away from her order when she was younger in order to do more social activist-type work. The house in Perunas is lived in by a few students and there are two rooms available for clinic volunteers.

The rooms are small and both have single beds and private bathroom with mandi style bathing which means no hot water. Both rooms have mosquito nets and one room a fan (no airconditioning). The cost is US$15 per night, meals (breakfast and dinner) is $42 per week, and laundry and ironing is $10 per week. The house is neat and tidy with two large eating areas.

Bidau Guest House
This guest house is a large house that is creatively decorated (person leasing the Guest House is an artist). It has a large kitchen, hallway, living area and good sized dining room. The yard is large with lots of plants so it is very shady and pleasant to sit outside on the veranda on cushioned chairs (2–3 sitting areas).

There are 4 bedrooms (3 single and 1 double) with a share bathroom for the single rooms and an ensuite for the double. The share bathroom has a western toilet while the ensuite has a squat toilet. Both have hot water showers and mosquito nets.

Access to the house can be made by crossing a canal or walking from the main road. A taxi could drive up to the house but you would need to walk to the main street (5 min walk) to get a taxi. The Guest House is located in Bidau and would be a 10 minute walk to Lita supermarket, ANZ Bank and restaurants. A taxi ride to Bairo Pite would be 5–10 minutes and would cost $1 or $1.50.

Cost is $17 p/night for single room, $26 p/night for double room. This includes a small amount of laundry. An extra cost will be involved for a large amount of laundry. Breakfast is not included.

Lurumata
Lurumata is a house owned by a family of one of the workers at the clinic. It is a 25 minute walk away or a $1 taxi ride. The house has a security gate, is clean and airy and is nicely painted and has a lovely front garden area with lots of plants. Two rooms are currently rented long term to UNPOL but one other room detached from the house is available. It consists of two small rooms and the bathroom is shared with the family (mandi style). Each room has a fan but no air conditioning or generator. The cost is US$100 per month. Breakfast and dinner would be an extra $50 per month.

Red Cross, Bairo Pite
The Red Cross accommodation is around the corner from the clinic (2 min walk) but the local Red Cross does not own the building but uses this accommodation when bringing people in from the districts for training. There are 9 good sized rooms with a large entry room and main room with up to 3 single beds. Four rooms have air conditioning and TV and there are plastic screens on all the bedroom windows, private bathrooms and a small kitchenette. There is no generator. Cost is US$150.00 per month for room only.

Tracey Morgan
A household, not a boarding house, of expats. Depending upon which room is available, it's between $15 and $17 per night. Hot and cold running cats, laundry and cleaning, instant social life. Short walk to several restaurants/bars. Sea view from the upstairs veranda.

Backpackers

East Timor Backpackers
The backpackers is a 10–15 minute walk from the clinic towards the more commercial and less residential direction. They have hot water and air-conditioning, a generator, a communal kitchen and rest areas as well as two restaurants within the same compound. There are two mixed dorms, one dorm has 4 beds and the other 7 beds at a cost of $10 per night. There is one double room at $15 per night or $25 for two people. The bathrooms are also shared by both sexes and are basic western style.

Hotels

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