Speaking the same language to help save lives
Like many who volunteer with VSA, Dr. Silabhakta Livirya (Sila) says he came away from his assignment having gained as much experience as he gave. This includes a new ability to speak conversational Tetun (the native language of Timor-Leste) and an appreciation for living in the moment.
Sila - a junior doctor now working in obstetrics and gynecology at Middlemore Hospital - was assigned to work with Associação Maluk Timor in Dili, the capital of Timor-Leste, also known as East Timor.
Maluk Timor is an organisation that works closely with the Timorese Ministry of Health and aims to end preventable death and disease by: providing good quality care in government-run health centres and outreach programs; creating and enhancing systems; and helping to build the capacity of Timorese healthcare professionals - through training, mentorship and clinical supervision.
His VSA placement ran for six months in 2022 and for the majority of that time, Sila was tasked with working alongside Maluk Timor’s team of doctors to support local medical practitioners with the management of infectious diseases, specifically tuberculosis.
They would visit hospitals around the country and help set up systems and share knowledge around infection control. He also spent time working in women’s health and supporting midwives.
The aim was to work together with the local team to help mentor and upskill staff, as well as implement sustainable methods and practices that would improve the quality of care for tuberculosis patients. This also included supporting team members in areas like report writing and staff management.
Having moved to Levin from the bustling city of Jakarta with his family at the age of 14, this VSA placement was not the first time that Sila had needed to adapt to a new country and way of life. His multi-cultural upbringing and exposure to different socioeconomic situations helped a lot, he says. As did speaking the Indonesian language (which a lot of Timorese understand) and his efforts to learn Tetun, which he says helped him build trust with patients. However, one of the challenges for Sila was the under-development of the country. “It was a bit like going back in time and that made it a bit more difficult to get things done,” he reflects. “There was unreliable Wi-Fi connection, it’s a mostly cash-based society and the condition of the roads is really poor - a journey of 100 kilometres would take five hours, as opposed to an hour in New Zealand.”
However, these challenges, and other aspects of the Timorese culture helped him to learn to go with the flow, he says. “I learned the importance of taking it easy, enjoying yourself, smiling, and that persisting against a hard wall is pointless. Taking your time is a must.”
Sila says that he recommends volunteering to anyone in a position to do it. “Working with people is so fulfilling and everyone in Timor was so lovely. I learned so much and made lifelong friends.”
First published in Vista June 2023