Paulina Quintao – The Deputy Program Manager of Marie Stope's International Timor-Leste (MSITL) Julio da Silva said the NGO has established mobile clinic units across the municipalities of Timor-Leste to provide rural families with the Family Planning (FP) services.
DPM da Silva said the initiative of developing mobile clinics aims to facilitate communities in particular women who want to make manage their pregnancies through family planning and so they do not have to walk a long way to access a clinic.
We thought about establishing the Marie Stope's mobile clinics to provide medical service to communities in villages and sub-villages so it's easy for them to access health services without having to walk long distances," said da Silva in Vila Verde, Dili.
The mobile clinic consists of four rooms where health staff provide adequate services that ensure the confidentiality of patients so they fell encouraged to visit health facilities and undertake regular medical check-ups.
"It's comfortable and confidential because the mobile clinic has four rooms for expecting women, for family planning, communicable diseases including sexually transmitted illnesses and so forth," said da Silva.
The team offering medical services to the community include staff from MSITL and also staff from the public health sector through a cooperation agreement between MSI and the Ministry of Health through the municipal health services.
Marie Stopes is currently engaged in raising awareness and providing medical services to eight municipalities Dili, Baucau, Viqueque, Lautem, Same, Ainaro, Bobonaro and Ermera.
Member of Parliament MP Josefa Alvares Pereira Soares said she is pleased with MSI's initiative but added that it is also important to engage public health staff as providing the communities with health services is part of their professional duties.
"The mobile clinics have to be assisted by public health staff and don't let [MSI] organisation staff work alone because health professionals have an obligation and the methods used will also have an impact in the health sector," said MP Soares