UNFPA hands over equipments to the Guido Valadares National Hospital.

4 Feb 2010

UNFPA hands over equipments to the Guido Valadares National Hospital.

Dili, 04 February 2010 - In the interests of improving life quality of Timorese mothers, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), under its programme of support to the Ministry of Health, handed over equipments for assisting mothers in child delivery to the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology (DOG) at the Guido Valadares National Hospital (GVNH).

The handover event took place on Thursday, 28 January at the GVNH Meeting Room and counted with the participation of Mr. Pornchai Suchitta, UNFPA Representative and Mr. Rui Exposto, GVNH Administrative Director.

"Today, UNFPA has shown its commitment to the Government of Timor-Leste in providing these equipments. We are pleased that many of these life-saving equipments will be very useful in saving the lives of the patients especially women," said Mr. Suchitta regarding UNFPA's response to this special request made in 2008.

Meanwhile, the Administrative Director of the GVNH, Rui Manuel Exposto, thanked UNFPA for its support and also assured that the health staff of the Hospital will take care of these equipments to ensure their longer use.

"We are really grateful to UNFPA for providing GVNH with these equipments, particularly in the Department of Obstetrics. This support will help to reduce infant and maternal mortality rate in Timor-Leste," Mr. Exposto said.

Since 2000, UNFPA has assisted GVNH providing it with medical equipments, as well as in capacity building of health staff on Obstetrics and Gynecology as a way to help address the problem of high Maternal Mortality and other reproductive health issues in the country.

For more information please contact:
Mariano Redondo
Tel. +670 7346517
redondo@unfpa.org