“Professionals must never forget about Ethics”
The Secretary of State for Professional Training and Employment, accompanied by the Ministry of Health, Timor-Leste – Cuba Friendship Association (TLCFA) and Businessmen Representatives (KSTL), organized, on the 30th April 2010, a one day seminar at the Delta Nova Venue in Dili, with the topic “Work Etos based on Health Treatment in Timor-Leste”.
Dr. Rui Maria de Araújo, as the first speaker in this seminar, considered that “Work Etos based on health treatment in Timor-Leste consists on behaviour and habits of every person in their workplace and daily lives. Such behaviour and habits makes the difference between the human person from that of an animal”.
The intervention of the second speaker, Mr. Agapito da Silva Soares, representative for the Ministry of Health, informed that “the Ministry has a policy already available on development of staff professionalism, be it within the country or abroad as, for example, in Indonesia. The Ministry of Health also has the demand for quality in consideration, where the reduction of mortality risk in Timor-Leste is a concern for this Ministry and where there has been a reduction from 80% in 2001 to 40% in 2009. Although there is a sharp change, the Ministry continues to join efforts to achieve a value of 1% or 2%, as happens in Cuba”.
The speaker that represented KSTL, José da Conceição, reminded the participants of “the condition of workers with two facets, that of the formal and the informal situation, the latter without a guarantee imposed by law in view of their labour condition. Therefore we demand that SSPTE creates a legal provision that regulates and protects the workers and the creation of a work environment”.
The Secretary of State, Bendito Freitas, as the last speaker in the seminar, drew the participants’ attention by saying that “professionals must never forget the ethics from their workplace and daily lives, and when one refers ethics it would be the same to state on the deficiencies or faults practiced throughout or daily living. Therefore it is necessary to deal with science, conquer human abilities, systems and attitudes based on ethics and responsibility”.
At the same venue, the Secretary of State, Bendito Freitas, regretted the conduct of foreign workers in Timor-Leste. In regards to this situation, Sr. Bendito Freitas confirmed “having already made the decision for the National Directorate for Workplace Inspection to organize workplace inspections in order to identify these behaviours by foreign workers, applied under the scope of legal procedure.
