Unsung Heroes

Left : Dr Rick Stapledon with a patient. Right : Richard Lumb

Dr Rick Stapledon, from Royal Adelaide Hospital, and Mr Richard Lumb, from the SA Institute of Medical & Veterinary Science (IMVS), spearheaded a Consortium of voluntary medical experts including Dr Ivan Bastian, also from IMVS, and Dr Justin Waring from Royal Perth Hospital to run the Bali TB Project. As a result of the drive and effort of these scientists, the program moved from success to success and is currently seen as one of the most progressive health training programs in Indonesia.

Overcoming the difficulties of cultural and language differences, the Consortium consultants successfully developed strong partnerships with the Indonesian National TB Program to share technical expertise and provide essential training in the diagnosis and treatment of tuberculosis.Bali was the location for this pioneering project which was funded by the Australian Red Cross and administered by Westcare Industries. YKI, as a member of the Consortium was the local facilitator.

Annually Bali has 3,500 new cases of TB, and far more people die of this disease each year than were killed in the Bali bombings in 2002 and 2003. TB is a curable disease and the treatment is free once accurately diagnosed. However, the emergence of multiple drug-resistant TB presents new challenges, especially with the high level of international tourism to Bali. This project highlights the great need for similar projects to be mounted in other parts of Indonesia to reduce the very high and unnecessary death rate from this disease.

These medical experts believe that Australia, with its high level of expertise, has an obligation to help in the fight against TB especially amongst its near neighbours. This project, which is of immediate and future benefit to the Balinese people, had the added advantage of enabling these Australian doctors and scientists to use their experience in Bali to assist programs in other developing countries in the region.