Timor-Leste’s diverse marine life and pristine reefs make scuba diving a popular pastime. The U.S. Embassy would like to remind U.S. citizens who engage in scuba diving in Timor-Leste that there is no hyperbaric chamber in the country for the treatment of decompression sickness – a very serious diving injury. The closest hyperbaric chambers are in Darwin, Australia and Bali, Indonesia. Because medical services requiring a hyperbaric chamber can be very expensive and accessing those facilities would require appropriately pressurized air ambulance evacuation, specialized scuba diving accident insurance is highly recommended.
Options for scuba diving insurance include:
The closest hyperbaric chambers are:
Royal Darwin Hospital
Hyperbaric Medical Unit
Rocklands Drive Tiwi
NT 0810
Phone 61 8 8922 8230
Sanglah General Hospital
USUP Sanglah Denpasar JI. Diponegoro,
Denpasar 80114
Bali, Indonesia
Phone 62-361-227911 ext. 232 (hyperbaric medical department)
Information regarding medical providers in Timor-Leste is available on the Embassy website here.
For further information:
- See the State Department’s travel website for the Worldwide Caution, Travel Warnings, Travel Alerts, and Timor-Leste Country Specific Information.
- Enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive security messages and make it easier to locate you in an emergency.
- Contact the U.S. Embassy in Timor-Leste, located at Av. De Portugal – Praia dos Coqueiros, at +670-332-4684, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. After-hours emergency number for U.S. citizens is +6707723-1328.
- Call 1-888-407-4747 toll-free in the United States and Canada or 1-202-501-4444 from other countries from8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays).
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