Healthcare and Medical Program in South Africa

At first, you may find it a bit difficult to understand South Africa. But as long as you keep treating it with respect, you're guaranteed to find yourself deeply in love with this country, amazed by the variety of cultures and beliefs it represents. More than that, you'll find yourself admiring its liveliness and powerful nature, standing at the top of the Table Mountain, gazing at the ocean waves crushing at your feet. Love Volunteers made my experience a truly unforgettable one, providing me with assistance on every step of my lone journey. I couldn't wish for being better taken care of! All the members of LV team are golden-hearted people - thoughtful, genuine and undoubtedly professional, with their adroit handling of all the volunteer programs. Thanks to LV, I not only got a taste of South Africa, but a mouthful of its flavours. I was placed in a community based clinic at Goodwood Day Hospital (Cape Town suburbs) and accommodated at a host family (5 min. walk to the clinic). Since I'm a pre-med student, I was surprised at the wide range of tasks I could get involved in. I was working along with the nurses and was allowed to: - take blood pressure - do urine and pregnancy tests - take out stitches - give tetanus injections - clean wounds - measure HGT and Hb levels - fill in patients' files - shadow the doctor (Please note that while doing all those things I was always supervised by a nurse/doctor.) This placement allowed me to get invaluable hands-on experience in the medical field, completing hours of direct patient care. I've developed a deep understanding of out-patient clinical care ad observed a great variety of casualties/cases/medical procedures performed. I strongly recommend this program to all volunteers willing to step out of their comfort zone and not afraid of getting their hands dirty.