Hi Everyone,

Today we are introducing a new medical placement in Timor Leste.  The medical clinic desperately needs doctors, nurses, midwives and students to help provide primary health care to rural villagers. 

We also show how some local volunteers provide disabled people with the amazing experience of sailing on Sydney harbour.  We have a peep at one of the photos in the AMSA photo competition sponsored by DocTours.  Finally, there is a blog from Tracey at Curious, Interested about openness and professionalism in the workplace.   Happy reading!

What’s New? Timor Leste

Our Rotary colleagues in Timor Leste have asked us to help find some medical volunteers.  The medical clinic is based in a picturesque village approximately two hours by road from Dili and almost 1300 metres above sea level.  The clinic receives approximately 60 patients a day and serves the surrounding population of 22,000 people.  It is staffed by a local nurse and midwife, medical records person, a dispenser, cleaner and a few assistants.  In addition to the two consulting rooms, there is a full dental set-up and a birthing suite.  The facilities are described as very basic, with minimal equipment and no oxygen facility.  They desperately need the additional skills and support from volunteer doctors, dentists, midwives and nurses.  It is primarily general practice work where serious cases are transported by ambulance to hospitals in Dili via unsealed mountainous terrain.  Just two weeks would make a world of difference!   Read more here.

Something Awesome?  Sailability!

Sailability is a national not-for-profit that introduces disabled people to the joys and freedom of sailing.  The disabilities may be physical or intellectual and include downs, autism, cerebral palsy, stroke, paraplegic, visual impairment, dementia, etc.  An army of volunteers are on hand on Sunday mornings to treat our special sailors with care and respect.  The yacht club is an ideal venue for Sailability with handy access parking, easy wheelchair pontoon access and a sling crane set up as required.

The fleet consists of six Access 303 boats each capable of taking out a sailor and a volunteer together. Life jackets are provided and a safety boat is on hand.  Have a look at what we do: http://www.sailabilitynsw.org/video.aspx

Sailability Middle Harbour are grateful for the time and energy of members from the Australian Cinematographers Society who volunteered their time to produce this 2 minute film of our sailors and volunteers in action.

What else? 

Doctours photographic competition, attracted an abundance of amazing photos taken by medical students and was part of AMSA’s Global Health Conference in September 2014.

This is one of the entries taken at an orphanage in Tanzania.  Most of the children in the orphanage were suffering from upper respiratory tract infections. They had constantly running noses and sores on their skin, like this beautiful little girl. Many of their health needs were not being met due to a severe lack of carers and resources.

We will be posting some more fabulous photos on the Doctours volunteers  Facebook 

Curious, Interested?  Income … Salary … Wages … Action!

Following on in her series about employee retention, this month Tracey writes about the need for more openness and professionalism by both the employer and employee when discussing income.  Read more on Tracey’s blog .