Dr. Filomena Guterres

Dr. Filomena Guterres is an obstetrician and gynaecologist at Hospital Nacional Guido Valadares in Dili, providing essential women's health services in Timor-Leste. With 10 years of experience, she is one of the country's specialist OB-GYN physicians working to improve maternal health outcomes in a country that has made significant progress but still faces challenges.

Timor-Leste has historically had one of the region's highest maternal mortality ratios, driven by limited access to skilled birth attendance in rural areas, malnutrition, and anaemia in pregnancy. Safe motherhood is a national priority, and Dr. Guterres's practice directly supports this goal at the national referral hospital, receiving complicated cases from across the country.

She obtained her specialist OB-GYN training through programs supported by Indonesia and Australia, and works closely with international health partners including UNFPA and Australian Aid who support maternal health capacity at HNGV. For very complex obstetric or gynecological cases beyond HNGV's management capacity, she facilitates medical referral to Indonesia or Australia.

Dr. Guterres earned her MD from the National University of Timor-Leste (UNTL), completing her medical training at the country's primary national university, which has benefited from Portuguese and Cuban academic cooperation since independence. She completed her OB-GYN specialist training through programs supported by Indonesia and Australia, gaining practical obstetric and gynecologic surgery competencies at higher-capacity hospitals before returning to lead the OB-GYN department at Hospital Nacional Guido Valadares. She holds a Specialist Certificate in OB-GYN. She also holds a Safe Motherhood Certificate from UNFPA-coordinated training and has completed training in basic and comprehensive emergency obstetric care (BEmOC/CEmOC) and postpartum haemorrhage prevention protocols under UNFPA maternal health programming.

Dr. Guterres manages antenatal care for routine and high-risk pregnancies including pre-eclampsia, gestational anaemia, and infections in pregnancy. She performs normal vaginal deliveries, caesarean sections, and emergency obstetric procedures including manual removal of placenta and management of postpartum haemorrhage.

In gynecology, she performs hysterectomy, management of ectopic pregnancy, ovarian cyst surgery, and cervical smear and colposcopy for cervical cancer screening.

Dr. Guterres participates in UNFPA and national maternal health programs and contributes to safe motherhood training for midwives and junior medical officers in Timor-Leste. She is focused on clinical practice and capacity development in maternal health.

Dr. Guterres sees international patients at Hospital Nacional Guido Valadares, including NGO workers, UN staff, diplomats, and expatriates requiring obstetric and gynecological care in Dili. She consults in Tetum, Portuguese, Indonesian, and English, reflecting Timor-Leste's multilingual heritage and enabling communication with a wide range of international patients. Video consultations are available for prenatal advice and second opinions for international visitors and expatriates. For complex obstetric cases or gynecologic conditions beyond HNGV's current capacity — such as advanced laparoscopic surgery or gynecologic oncology — Dr. Guterres facilitates medical referral to Indonesia (Bali or Surabaya) or Australia, coordinating documentation and medical records transfer. Medical evacuation insurance is strongly recommended for all expatriates and long-term visitors to Timor-Leste.

Dr. Guterres has made significant contributions to maternal health programme development at Hospital Nacional Guido Valadares, playing a key role in improving the hospital's obstetric emergency management protocols and safe delivery practices. She participates actively in the Timor-Leste Medical Association and OB-GYN Society activities, contributing to safe motherhood education and clinical training for midwives and junior medical officers across the country. She has received recognition from UNFPA Timor-Leste for her contributions to national maternal health programme implementation. Dr. Guterres is acknowledged by Australian Aid and international health partners for her dedication to improving women's health outcomes in Timor-Leste, where maternal health remains a national development priority.