Description

By volunteering at a health clinic, you can help augment support to understaffed and underfunded health clinics in rural towns outside Tacloban City. This volunteer project is great for volunteers looking to experience the healthcare industry in the Philippines or looking to implement their professional medical skills in a rewarding environment.

Rural Health Unit (RHU) clinics serve as the only source of free healthcare for impoverished communities in rural towns around Tacloban City.

It is at these clinics where one doctor and a handful of nurses have the sole responsibility of looking after a community of thousands of people whilst at the same time having only a limited number of resources at their disposal.

The clinics will benefit greatly from the services of volunteer medical professionals and qualified students. Volunteers who are being recruited include doctors, nurses, medical assistants, pre-med students, and students in health and medical programs.

The duties of the volunteers will vary, depending on the qualifications of the individuals. In the past, volunteers have assisted in taking patient vitals, obtaining medical history, administering inoculations, assisting with minor surgery, helping with delivery, and conducting medical screens and exams. The services are generally provided at the clinic, although periodically outreach health services are provided to outlying areas.

Initiative is a major trait that volunteers need to posses in order to participate well in this project. Aside from the day-to-day activities in the clinics, volunteers can also provide support to various other VFV Health related projects, such as collecting statistical support for its Nutrition Project or helping provide public health awareness seminars to various community groups.

Highlights

Additional optional activities:-

- Conduct After-School Tutorials with Children on the Volunteer for the Visayans Child Sponsorship Program between 5pm and 7pm.

- Participate with a wide variety of local community based projects such as adolescent youth groups and local mothers groups outside of your regular working hours.

- Assist VFV with outreach projects such as building houses through their build-a-home project, assist with emergency relief and school supply distribution projects on weekends and after regular program hours.

Discover the Community

All volunteers are accommodated within a small close knit Filipino community. All home stays are within 1 minute from each and within 1 minute from VFV's office and community centre - this offers great cultural immersion as well as a great way for volunteers to socialise outside of project hours.

Qualifications

- Volunteers must be independent and open-minded.
- Volunteers must be willing to experience a different culture
- Volunteers must be a medical student or have experience working as a doctor or nurse in the health industry

Minimum Education

High School

Languages

• English

Cost in US$:

$799 for 2 weeks. $80 for each additional week.

Cost Includes:

• Excursions
• Food
• Housing
• In-country orientation/Training
• In-country staff support
• Language instruction

Experience Required

no

Volunteer Types

• Dental Volunteering
• Health
• Health Care
• Health Education
• Medicine
• Nursing

Typical Volunteer

Volunteers work closely with local rural health clinics. Volunteers assist doctors, nurses and midwives by performing a number of activities, which include but are not limited to: helping to admit patients, assisting with patient consultations, dressing wounds, assisting vaccination drives, assisting prenatal consultations, assisting dental consultations and visiting local communities on public health drives.

Age Range

18+

This Program is open to

Worldwide Participants. This Program is also open to Couples and Individuals.

Typical Living Arrangements

• Home-stays

Participants Travel

Independently

Typically Participants Work

Independently

Application Process Involves

• Resume
• Written Application

Post Services Include

• Alumni Network

Year Founded

2004