Multidisciplinary POCUS training strengthens clinical decision making in acute care setting at HNGV

(English translation of the the article is provided below)

Formasaun Multidisiplinár POCUS haforsa desizaun klíniku iha ambiente Kuidadu Agudu iha HNGV

Formasaun foin lalais kona-ba Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) ne'ebé realiza iha Hospital Nacional Guido Valadares (HNGV) iha Timor-Leste, kontribui hasa'e kapasidade profisionál saúde sira atu avalia no jere lalais pasiente sira ne'ebé iha kondisaun kritiku liuhusi utilizasaun ultrassonografia ba pasiente iha nia kama ninin.

Iha kursu rua, ida-idak ho durasaun loron 2.5, foka liu ba kondisaun iha kuidadu agudu ne'ebé babain hasoru iha servisu lor-loron nian. Formasaun ne'e halibur hamutuk profisionál saúde hosi espesialidade oioin, hodi promove aprendizajen multidisiplinár no servisu hamutuk entre equipa. 

Liu husi sesaun aprendizajen interativu, prátika eskaneamentu ho supervizaun, mentoria no treinamentu prátiku, partisipante sira dezenvolve abilidade ultrassonografia ne'ebé útil no aumenta konfiansa klínika. Kursu sira foka ba uza ultrassonografia iha avaliasaun trauma no ekokardiografia iha pontu kuidadu (point-of-care echocardiography) atu apoia foti desizaun klínika lalais no informada ba pasiente sira ne'ebé krítiku.

Imajen 1 no 2: Klíniku emerjénsia (leten) no kuidadu krítiku (kraik) ne'ebé partisipa iha workshop treinamentu POCUS durante loron rua iha HNGV iha Maiu 2026.

Programa ne'e realiza ho parseria hamutuk ho PEARLS (POCUS in Emergency and Acute Care in Resource-Limited Settings), organizasaun ida ne'ebé iha esperiénsia atu fornese treinamentu ultrassonografia iha ambiente ho rekursu limitadu iha rejiaun Pasífiku. Liu husi PEARLS, partisipante sira hetan asesu ba rede mentor rejionál sira ne'ebé kontinua fó apoiu no orientasaun bainhira sira dezenvolve tan sira ninia kapasidade no aprendizajen kontinuu. 

Entre equipa formadór sira iha Dr. Ignatius Bolokon, médiku espesialista emerjénsia hosi East New Britain Province, Papua Nova Guiné. Dr. Bolokon fahe nia esperiénsia no koñesimentu valiozu kona-ba ambiente kuidadu agudu, no hatudu importánsia kolaborasaun entre kultura no aprendizajen entre kolega sira hodi hametin sistema saúde. 

Imajen 3 no 4: Dr Ignatius Bolokon hosi PNG (iha klaran imajen 3 no iha liman loos imajen 4) mai partisipa hanesan membru formadór iha programa ne'e.

Programa ida ne'e hetan apoiu hosi Regional Emergency and Critical Care Systems Strengthening Initiative (RECSI), implementa husi Menzies Timor-Leste, no reflete komitmentu kontinuu konsórsiu atu hametin kapasidade profisionál saúde iha área kuidadu emerjénsia no kuidadu intensivu, no hadi'a qualidade servisu saúde iha Timor-Leste. 

Dr Julia Rodrigues Quintao, Xefe Departamentu Emerjénsia, destaca impaktu treinamentu ne'e:

"Formasaun ida ne'e fó benefísiu boot tebes, liuliu ba jestaun pasiente sira ne'ebé iha risku moris iha Departamentu Emerjénsia. Agora ami-nia klíniku sira sente fiar-a’an liután atu halo ultrassonografia iha patiente nia kama ninin. Pasu tuir mai mak integra kapasidade ida ne'e ba formasaun ba kolega sira seluk ne'ebé seidauk partisipa, hodi maximiza utilizasaun máquina ultrassonografia portátil no probe sira ne'ebé programa fornese ona” 

Dr Marino Alves Dos Santos Pinheiro, Especialista Kuidadu Kritiku iha Unidade Kuidadu Intensivu, mós reflete kona-ba benefísiu treinamentu ne'e iha área kuidadu kritiku:

"Formasaun ida ne'e hasa'e ami-nia kapasidade atu identifika lalais kondisaun klíniku agudu hanesan trauma abdominal, bee livre iha pelve no iha kavidade pulmonar. Obrigadu ba equipa formadór sira no apoiu ekipamentu ne'ebé fó mai. Ami hein katak sei iha oportunidade barak tan hanesan ida ne'e iha futuru, no ami prontu atu kontinua kolabora hamutuk”

RECSI hetan apoiu hosi inisiativa Partnerships for a Healthy Region nian husi Governu Australianu.

Multidisciplinary POCUS training strengthens clinical decision making in acute care setting at HNGV

Recent Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) training delivered at Hospital Nacional Guido Valadares (HNGV) in Timor-Leste has strengthened clinicians’ ability to rapidly assess and manage critically ill patients using bedside ultrasound.

Two separate 2.5-day courses were delivered, focusing on acute care conditions commonly encountered in emergency and critical care settings. The training brought together healthcare professionals from multiple specialties, fostering multidisciplinary learning and collaboration. 

Through interactive teaching sessions, supervised scanning practice, mentorship, and hands-on training, participants built practical ultrasound skills and greater clinical confidence. The courses focused on the use of ultrasound in trauma assessment and point-of-care echocardiography to support rapid, informed clinical decision-making for critically ill patients.

Images 1 and 2: Emergency care (top) and critical care (bottom) clinicians who participated in 2-day POCUS workshop trainings at HNGV in May 2026 

 The program was delivered in partnership with PEARLS (POCUS in Emergency and Acute Care in Resource-Limited Settings) an organisation with experience delivering ultrasound training in resource-limited settings across the Pacific. Through PEARLS, participants gain access to a regional network of mentors who provide continued support and guidance as they develop their skills and support ongoing learning.

Among the faculty was Dr Ignatius Bolokon, an emergency physician from East New Britain Province, Papua New Guinea. Dr Bolokon shared valuable insights and experiences from acute care settings across the region, highlighting the importance of cross-cultural collaboration and peer learning in strengthening healthcare systems

Images 3 and 4): Dr Ignatius Bolkon from PNG (middle of image 3 and far right in image 4) travelled to participate as a faculty member in the program. 

Supported by the Regional Emergency and Critical Care Systems Strengthening Initiative (RECSI) via implementing partner Menzies Timor-Leste, the program reflects the consortium’s ongoing commitment to strengthening emergency and critical care workforce capacity and improving the quality of healthcare services in Timor-Leste.

Dr Julia Rodrigues Quintao, Head of the Emergency Department, highlighted the impact of the training:

 “This training has been incredibly valuable, especially for managing life-threatening patients in the Emergency Department. Our clinicians are now more confident in performing bedside ultrasound scanning. Our next step is to incorporate this into future training for colleagues who were unable to participate and maximise the use of existing portable ultrasound machines and probes provided through the program.”

Dr Marino Alves Dos Santos Pinheiro, Critical Care Specialist in the Intensive Care Unit noted also reflected on the benefits within critical care:

"It has strengthened our ability to identify acute clinical conditions such as abdominal trauma, free fluid in the pelvis and lung cavity.

Thank you to the faculty team and for the equipment support. We hope there will be more opportunities like this in the future and would be happy to continue collaborating."

RECSI is supported by the Australian Government’s Partnerships for a Healthy Region initiative.