The St John of God Pathology Development Program has been working in Timor-Leste since 2004. The aim of the program is to provide sustainable improvements in local pathology capacity in haematology and biochemistry
This presentation will seek to provide a current, critical reflection on the issues that need to be considered when introducing any level of haematology service into an area that can be defined as resource poor and /or remote. It will examine the role that a Non-Government Organisation can have in the introduction of improved levels of haematology service at District referral hospital level in Timor-Leste.
There are many examples of attempts to build sustainable pathology services in undeveloped environments. These often fail to deliver quality services in the manner envisioned by the client and the service provider. Reasons that development programs do not deliver the required result can include poor planning, an under-resourced implementation strategy, unrealistic time-lines and poor understanding of local context and culture. Local factors that will play a significant role include education levels, terrain, infrastructure, financial system maturity and the building of relationships and trust between parties.