Brook Sabin – The busiest doctor in Timor has made a plea for help to New Zealand, inundated with patients who are dying needlessly.

Dan Murphy has seen more than 1.5 million people since moving to the impoverished nation 15 years ago. On a quiet day Dr Murphy sees 300 patients. If it's busy, there will be more than 1000.

Dr Murphy first arrived in Timor just before riots broke out in 1999. He was the only doctor in the country at the time. "[There were] war wounds and absolutely nothing to deal with that except our hands to pull out some bullets."

Since then he's seen more than 1.5 million patients. One little girl's bowel isn't working. Her mum says her daughter's stomach is severely swollen, and she fears she may die.

A New Zealand surgeon will travel to Timor in the next month to perform life-saving surgery.

But Dr Murphy is inundated and needs help. "I would love to appeal to New Zealand. If they could find it within their hearts to take those occasional patients, which they would be fully capable of dealing with."

He's got one very sad example. "Heart disease, right now this morning I saw a child who is turning blue. This kid is one-month-old. Here, it has no chance."

And many of his other patients don't have a chance either. A man suffers from tuberculosis and can't gain weight. He has been in hospital for three years.

Late last year the New Zealand Defence Force pulled out of Timor, after first deploying in 1999. Yesterday, the United Nations mission there also ended. And while the fledgling nation may now be secure, and locals feel safe on the streets, many continue to suffer.