About

The Flinders Overseas Health Group is a voluntary group providing assistance in the health sector in the Eastern Indonesian province of Nusa Tenggara Timur (NTT), which includes West Timor. The people here live in poverty, suffer from malnutrition, have limited education and an under-resourced health system. FOHG is licensed in South Australia to collect monies for charitable purposes and is funded by donations which can be made through Flinders Foundation.

FOHG is a group of voluntary health professionals across Australia, including doctors, nurses, pharmacists, allied health workers and laboratory scientists along with socially aware individuals. The group was conceived after exposure to the challenging health issues in West Timor. In particular the high level of maternal and infant mortality in the region which is one of Indonesia’s poorest.

During the mid-2000s a group of voluntary health professionals from across Australia, including doctors, nurses, allied health workers and laboratory scientists along with socially aware individuals began visiting the province of Nusa Tenggara Timur in Indonesian West Timor. These visits highlighted the need for a long term collaborative approach to meeting the health needs of rural and urban communities, addressing resource issues in the hospitals and providing professional development for local specialists in multiple areas.

FOHG organises visits by a number of specialty teams and acts as a facilitator for the development of long term networks between professionals in West Timor and Australia. Visits combine formal teaching ,"teaching on the run" clinical instruction, research projects and mentoring across a variety of health sectors. There is a parallel programme assisting with various identified community needs – details can be found under ‘Activities’.

The Flinders Overseas Health Group was conceived after their exposure to the challenging health issues in West Timor. The visits highlighted the need for a long term collaborative approach to meeting the health needs of rural and urban communities, addressing resource issues in the hospitals and providing professional development for local specialists in multiple areas. Reports of some trips before 2015 can be found below.

FOHG has a close relationship with Prof Johannes Hospital in Kupang and the Undana Medical School. .We have also been invited to assist with further educational programmes with the Polytechnic in Kupang. Public sector linkage programs have been operating ”Train the trainer“ education for maternal and neonatal health in Flores, ever since 2008. These were originally developed with the support of AUSAID.

TENTANG FOHG

Flinders Overseas Health Group atau FOHG adalah organisasi amal yang memberikan bantuan di sektor kesehatan di provinsi Nusa Tenggara Timur (NTT) Indonesia. Beberapa persoalan di NTT antar lain kemiskinan, kekurangan gizi, akses pendidikan yang terbatas dan kekurangan sumber daya dalam sistem kesehatan.

FOHG terdiri atas sekelompok tenaga kesehatan profesional yang bekerja secara sukarela dan berasal dari seluruh wilayah di Australia antara lain dokter, perawat, apoteker, tenaga kesehatan dan ahli laboratorium terkait bersama dengan individu-individu yang sadar sosial. Kelompok ini terbentuk setelah terpapar dengan masalah kesehatan yang menantang di Timor Barat khususnya masalah tingkat kematian ibu dan bayi yang tinggi.

Pada pertengahan tahun 2000-an, sekelompok sukarelawan kesehatan dari Australia antara lain dokter, perawat, tenaga kesehatan dan ahli laboratorium mulai mengunjungi provinsi Nusa Tenggara Timur. Hasil dari kunjungan-kunjungan tersebut menyimpulkan bahwa perlu adanya pendekatan kolaboratif jangka panjang untuk memenuhi kebutuhan kesehatan masyarakat pedesaan dan perkotaan, menangani permasalahan sumber daya di rumah sakit dan menyajikan pengembangan profesionalitas bagi tenaga kesehatan di wilayah Provinsi NTT.

FOHG menyelenggarakan beberapa studi banding bagi sejumlah tim spesialis dan bertindak sebagai fasilitator untuk pengembangan kerja sama dalam jangka panjang antara tenaga kesehatan di Timor Barat dan Australia. Studi banding mencakup ceramah, "teaching on the run" atau praktik langsung, penyajian instruksi klinis, penelitian dan pendampingan di berbagai sektor kesehatan. Ada juga program paralel yang membantu berbagai kebutuhan masyarakat – rinciannya dapat dilihat pada bagian 'Kegiatan'.

FOHG telah menjalin kerjasama yang erat dengan RS Prof. Yohanes serta Fakultas Kedokteran Universitas Nusa Cendana di Kupang. FOHG juga sering diundang untuk mendukung program-program kependidikan di Politeknik Kesehatan (Poltekes) Kupang. Program pelatihan “Train the Trainers” juga telah disajikan dalam kerjasama yang erat dengan pihak Pemerintah Daerah (Dinas Kesehatan) di Flores, khususnya di Kabupaten Ende dan Kabupaten Nagekeo yang telah terjalin sejak tahun 2008. Kerjasama ini pada awalnya terjalin berkat adanya bantuan atau dukungan dari AusAID saat itu.