A shipment containing vital hospital equipment is on its way from Goulburn to aid the community in Timor Leste.
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The initiative is a part of Goulburn's Friendship Agreement with Quelicai in Timor Leste, an inland city of about 25,000 people.
Maggie and Darryl Patterson, the owners of the former St Jospeh's Orphanage, first suggested the Friendship Agreement.
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They have now been appointed as the official envoys by the Goulburn Mulwaree Council.
"Heart failure is a concern among children in Timor Leste. With the help of the equipment, heart diseases can be detected and at an early stage and treated," Mrs Patterson said.
Mayor Bob Kirk called it a "humanitarian connection".
"It shows that with a little bit of focus, how goodwill and good outcomes can be achieved and shared," he said.
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MedEarth, an Australian environmental charity, helps recover used, quality hospital equipment which are then sent to developing nations.
Mrs Patterson also appreciated the contribution of the Goulburn community.
"The motto for MedEarth is bridging the gap of our surplus and scarcity of others. As a community, that's what we are doing," she said.
The shipment includes an X-Ray machine, anesthetic machines and ECG machines.
"There was only one X-Ray machine in a population of 1.5 million. So, this is going to make a difference to the lives of so many people," said Cr Carol James.
An engineer will also travel to set up the equipment in the Timor Leste hospital.
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