Community services

Timor-Leste

The Nursing Development Program (NDP) has been delivered since 2010 by St John of God Social Outreach, in partnership with Timor’s Ministry of Health. 

It is aimed at improving the quality of patient care across hospitals in Timor-Leste, centred around the National Referral Hospital in Dili (HNGV). The focus is on building the capacity of Timorese nurses, midwives and healthcare leaders through education and training, leadership and management, and clinical mentoring and support.

St John of God Social Outreach Nursing Development Program - Phase Three 2022-2025 (English), (PDF)
St John of God Social Outreach Nursing Development Program - Phase Three 2022-2025 (Tetun), (PDF)
St John of God Social Outreach Nursing Development Program - Phase Three 2022-2025 (Portuguese), (PDF)

Our international health team works with our Timorese partners at municipal hospitals, the Ministry of Health and other key institutions.


The team’s presence on the ground in Timor-Leste, combined with St John of God Health Care’s funding structure and support from partner, Santos means St John of God Social Outreach is able to create custom programs wherever a need arises.

We partner to embed best practice into everyday healthcare and give workers the skills and confidence to assist them to transform the experience for their patients. This all helps overcome the innate wariness and even fear of hospital care that is prevalent in Timorese culture.

The Health Manager’s Leadership Program (HMP) is delivered annually to clinical and non-clinical leaders in healthcare. It focuses on skills such as human resource management, leadership and quality improvement, and includes a quality project.

These projects can have a significant impact on clinical practice, with one example the implementation of the bedside handover, a practice that was initiated in one manager’s hospital ward and has become standard practice at the national hospital. 

St John of God Social Outreach's Pathology Development Program also ran from 2004 to 2018 in partnership with the Timor Ministry of Health. 

St John of God Health Care’s work in Timor-Leste is proudly supported by Santos:

 ConocoPhillips