The Timor-Leste defense force F-FDTL and the 2014 Pacific Partner Force have established an emergency community clinic in Comoro.
The Pacific Partner Force is made up of defense personnel from the USA, New Zealand, Australia and Timor-Leste.
Chief of Army Brigadier General Filomeno Paixao said the clinic would serve community members in need of emergency medical treatment.
F-FDTL supplied staff while the equipment costs were covered by the Pacific Partner Force.
Brigadier General Filomeno Paixao said the clinic was established on recommendation by the Ministry of Health.
“The American Embassy spoke with the deputy health minister and they called us to work with them,” he said.
Pacific Partner Force commander Commodore Rodney Moore said he hoped he clinic would help the Comoro population.
He said the construction process brought the forces together with the community and also gave an opportunity for F-FDTL and Pacific Partners engineers to share their experience with one another.
“This is a good idea to build friendship,” Commander Moore said.
He called for the community to preserve the relationships which had been built.
Deputy health minister Natalia Araujo applauded the effort by F-FDTL and the Pacific Partner Force.
“This is assistance we have been waiting for,” she said.
“Our job now is the use this facility to provide assistance to the community, particularly in cases of emergencies,” she said.
She said the Ministry of Health would have the 24 hour facility running in a short time.
MP Araujo said she hoped the new clinic would ease the patient burden on the National Hospital of Guido Valadares.
