DILI, 01 August 2025 (TATOLI) — The Government of Timor-Leste has signed a Patient Transfer Agreement with Royal Darwin Hospital in Australia to facilitate the referral of Timorese patients for advanced medical treatment at RDH and to enhance capacity-building in the health sector. The announcement was made by José Magno, Vice Minister for Institutional Health Strengthening.
The agreement was formally signed by Minister of Health Élia Amaral.
“We can now begin transferring patients to Royal Darwin Hospital following the signing of the agreement,” said Vice Minister José Magno during a press conference held on Thursday in Dili. “We already have established partnerships with Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore, and are now broadening our collaboration to include Australia.”
Magno recalled that Royal Darwin Hospital was the facility where President José Ramos-Horta received treatment after surviving a gunshot wound during the 2008 attack.
In April this year, a team of Australian cardiologists, working alongside Timorese specialists, assessed the condition of 35 cardiovascular patients at the Guido Valadares National Hospital (HNGV).
Following the evaluations, HNGV’s Head of Cardiology, Herculano Seixas, stated that 22 of the 35 patients required surgical treatment abroad, based on the results of diagnostic tests.
Journalist: Felicidade Ximenes
Editor: Cancio Ximenes
Translation: Filomeno Martins
