By
Graham Davis
A dinner at the HMAS Kuttabul wardroom, hosted by the Chief of
Navy, VADM Chris Ritchie and attended by the “first lady” of East
Timor, Kirsty Sword Gusmao, last month, raised $40,000 to upgrade
the facilities in the children’s ward of the Dili National Hospital.
Australian-born Mrs Gusmao, has personally experienced the dire
state of East Timor’s hospital system providing her own mattress
for the birth of both her sons, one aged four, the other two.
Her eldest son has had malaria twice and her youngest once, already
in their short lifetimes.
“East Timor has the highest infant and maternal mortality rate
in the Asian region and one of the highest in the world,” she
said.
“Twelve per cent of East Timorese children don’t reach their 50th
birthday, a figure which is 200 times higher than Australia.
“On behalf of all the children of East Timor, I thank you from
the bottom of my heart for your generosity, vision and participation.”
The wardroom dinner was a $500 per head event limited to 60 guests.
