Due to the COVID-19 situation, the Feasibility study did not take place this year.

Dr. Flavio Brandao (Clinical Director), Dr. Mendes Pinto (Oncologist), and Dr. Ana Magno (Radiologist) from Hospital Nacional Guido Valadares (HNGV) visited Singapore in December 2019 on a learning trip to see how their hospitals could be developed in areas including Palliative Care. Dr. Goh had linked the delegates to Singapore General Hospital (SGH) and the National Cancer Centre Singapore (NCCS) who had agreed to help out. The small group of doctors at the NCCS whom the delegation met had been thinking about how Timor-Leste could set up Radiation Therapy in HNGV.

Currently, Timor-Leste is not a member of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The team had, through Dr. Goh, advised Timor- Leste to apply for IAEA membership as an essential first step. This will be the most useful international organization to help them develop cancer treatment, in particular, radiation treatment. IAEA has the expertise and funding and other resources needed to help set up radiotherapy. IAEA uses expertise from countries like Singapore to help countries in Asia develop radiotherapy capabilities.

Through the funding from Timor-Leste’s Ministry of Health, one histopathologist and one technician from Timor-Leste were to receive training at SGH in January 2020. However, the plan has been shelved till further notice due to the current pandemic.