Ever wondered how Third World hospitals work? Come and observe
experts in your field and get a
behind-the-scenes view of medicine in Blantyre, Malawi. The projects are
located in Blantyre, surrounded by the stunning Lake Malawi.
In Malawi, one-third of children are severely
malnourished in a country where the average wage is $200 per year and
the average life expectancy is 39 years. Medicine and physiotherapy are
sorely needed.
Coupled with poor
health and sanitary provisions, medics in these countries are faced with
conditions that we don’t see where we live.
There are two main health facilities that we work with, a
central hospital and a private clinic in Blantyre, Malawi. The level of your experience will dictate which one
you'll be allocated to. You'll get a good general feel of the hospitals by working and/or
observing in most departments and you'll gain some excellent work
experience.
At both
the hospital and clinic, there are many departments such as: Medicine, Paediatrics, Obstetrics, Surgery, Gynaecology, Laboratory, Minor Surgery
and many more
You need to be 18 years old or over to take part in this placement and
you must either be currently studying Medicine or have studied Medicine.
All nationalities are welcome on this placement and you don’t need to
speak the local language to participate. The experience you gain will be an excellent entry on your CV or
Résumé.
Working in the health sector in the developing world is a real challenge. For
social, cultural, but mainly economic reasons, people don’t seek medical
attention until their condition is advanced or they are in serious pain. At both the hospital and clinic you will be able to
get hands on work. When you arrive you will sit down with your supervisor to
arrange a schedule for your time there. If there is a particular field you are
studying and would like to work in that department, we may be able to arrange
this for you.
You can work in a mixture of departments or, if
there is a particular department you would like to work in, we can arrange this
for you. You may work in a
variety of medical departments, where you may either assist or shadow the staff
members, depending on your level of experience. Whichever department you work in, you can either assist or shadow the
staff members (depending on your past level of experience).
It is difficult to be
specific about the day-to-day work you will do as it is likely to be varied and
spread across many areas. The hospitals are very busy with a multitude of duties
and responsibilities, so you will probably be worked very hard in most areas.
The type of work you will be allocated will depend
to an extent on your own abilities and capabilities, which is understandable
given that you will be dealing with patient health and safety.
You will normally sit down
with the supervisor when you arrive to set up a timetable for your placement,
but given that this is Africa, the process may not be as formalised as you would
expect.
QUALIFICATIONS AND REQUIREMENTS To work in the Hospital you must be
a 3rd year student or above, and at the Clinic you can be in any year of
studying, but you must be studying medicine. If you're qualified, you'll be
especially welcome. Any experience you have in the field of Medicine
will help your application so please ensure you add this to your application and
CV.
When you take part on this
placement, it is required that you bring along your own white lab coat and a
stethoscope as equipment is not always freely available.
As with all our destinations, the Malawian Culture and heritage
must be borne in mind. Self-reliance and independence are highly appreciated in
all our destinations and will help you to make the most of this wonderful
opportunity.
Once you have applied for a placement, we will work closely with
you to arrange your trip and we provide you with a mountain of detailed
information about Malawi, as well as a Safety Guide - all of these will help to
make your stay in Tanzania one that you will never forget.
YOUR ACCOMMODATION AND FACILITIES
Blantyre
is the biggest city and business capital of Malawi. The city is
surrounded by beautiful hills and mountains, which allows a truly
wonderful balance between typical urban lifestyle and harmony with
nature. The
city has all the amenities you require, like coffee shops, internet
cafes and banks to peaceful walks and a night out to the cinema. There
are also lots of traditional African markets, with interesting little
stalls to spend endless hours browsing through for that little something
(or rather “somethingS”) to take home with you!
Accommodation: You will be accommodated in friendly
and welcoming host families. Most are not poor, meaning that
the facilities are sometimes better than in some Western countries - one
host even has a bar!
Where possible, we try to ensure that
volunteers are placed together in the host families so that you can have
the opportunity to socialise with your family and the other volunteers.
The hosts are based in the township, but also feel secluded from the
local hustle and bustle. They’re also not far from the main town centre,
so there is always plenty to do.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner will be provided
and host families are knowledgeable sources of local information
about where to go and what to see while in Malawi. They will make your
stay a memorable one! Most of our volunteers who live with host families have commented that
they felt they got a better cultural experience because they live the
life of the local people and get to know all aspects of what it means to
live in the country.
On Arrival: Your Introduction to the Country: When you arrive you will be welcomed by our Malawian Manager and he
will take you to your accommodation and introduce you to everyone.
During your first few days you'll be given an induction so that you can
learn about the country and its culture, as well as other useful
information, like how to use the transport system etc.
One of our host family houses
TRAVEL AND SUPPORT
You have the option to arrange your
own flights or we can assist you with your flight arrangements. If you would
like us to do this for you, we will liaise with you regarding available flights
and dates to suit you. All arrangements for your flight bookings/payments will
be fulfilled by Murray Rogers Travel Ltd., ATOL No. 6856. (Read more about Murray Rogers Travel Ltd.)
Where possible, we arrange for two or more people to travel on
the same flight and we will let you have the names and telephone numbers of
other volunteers on your flight, so that you can chat to each other or even meet
up before leaving for your placement.
Where possible, all flights we arrange for you
have changeable return tickets because many of our volunteers choose to extend
their stay once they are in their destination country. Changeable return tickets
enable you to do so, within the limits of your visa and the level of your air
ticket, of course. If you choose to book your own flights, you should endeavour
to get a changeable ticket.
We meet you at the nearest airport regardless of whether
you make your own travel arrangements or not. You will be introduced to everyone
shortly after your arrival.
We can also arrange your flight dates to give you additional time at the end of
your project for travelling around and sightseeing - this is a fascinating and
wondrous country!
VISAS:. In countries where
visas or immigration documents are required, we'll send you all the necessary
forms and information and make the process very easy for you.
To see what Support
& Backup we provide in our countries,
please click here.
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+44 01903 502595
