Tasmanian-based ophthalmologist, Dr Nitin Verma, leads a committed team of Australian ophthalmologists and support staff who regularly volunteer their time and expertise and travel to Timor Leste. During each visit, they perform between 90-200 operations and train local eye-care teams.

The long term objective of this program is to build an eye care clinic and a sustainable eye care system for the Timor Leste people.

Dr Nitin Verma interview - ABC 7.30 Report

Project Status and Achievements to Date

Since the project started in the year 2000, the team has:

• Performed more than 4,811 eye operations and treatments
• Provided eye consultations to over 46,074 Timorese
• Dispensed 29,460 spectacles
  
• Supported training of Timor Leste’s first ophthalmologist
• Established sub-speciality ophthalmology programs including corneal and retinal surgery
• Successfully performed the first corneal transplant surgeries in Timor in 2009
• Established a nurse upskilling program

Funds Needed

With your help, we need to raise ongoing funds to support this project.

Medical Team

The East Timor Eye Care Program team is led by Dr Nitin Verma, with Drs John Kearney, Bill Glasson, Paul McCartney, Mark Ellis, Brian Todd, Kevin Vandeleur, Jonathon Ruddle, Mark Whiting, Kimberley Tan, and East Timorese ophthalmologist Dr Marcellino Correia. Theatre nurses include Ms Barbara Chantler, Alex Shaw, Vicki Greeks and Colleen Hickson. Optometrists include Andrew Maver, Michael Knipe, Andrew Koch, Peter Lewis and Vin Penry.

Project Partners

Along with The Eye Foundation, project partners for The East Timor Eye Care Program are RANZCO, AusAID, The Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, the Government of Tasmania, ProVision Optometry, The Australian Red Cross (NT Division), St John’s, Foresight, Rotary International, and Lions International.

Contact Us

If you would like more information about this project, click here or visit www.etep.org.au. To make a donation to support this project, click here.