Hospital doctors and physicians

Zambia continues to be an island of peace and stability in a conflict-ridden region. However, the country suffers from rising poverty made worse by the impact of the HIV pandemic on income-earners and their families. The disease burden is felt hardest in rural areas, where services are weak or non-existent. St Francis’s Hospital is a referral mission hospital providing vital services in the rural east of the province, where HIV prevalence is about 17 percent, and poverty is high, with most of the population being subsistence farmers. With an antiretroviral clinic providing services to 4,000 patients, one of the largest programmes in the country, St Francis’ Hospital have requested extra support to build care provision for HIV positive patients.

What does the role involve?

• Managing the care of patients on antiretroviral treatment on the HIV ward
• Undertaking daily ward rounds, including teaching where students are attached to the ward
• Treating people living with HIV referred to St Francis’ Hospital's outpatients clinic
• Participating in clinical meetings, audit and teaching sessions
• Conducting outreach sessions at rural clinics
• Developing HIV prevention and health promotion services

Skills, qualifications and experience required

You’ll be a registered doctor with at least three years’ post-registration experience, ideally with some previous experience of infectious diseases or HIV medicine. Experience of training or developing others, and helping to build their skills and capabilities is essential. A diploma in tropical medicine and hygiene may be useful but is not compulsory. St Francis’ has 330 staff and eight doctors in total. A local specialist will act as your mentor and provide supervision and advice as needed. The hospital links with the Human Institute of Virology in Maryland, USA.  You’ll need to be flexible, patient and creative to work effectively with limited resources.

And the rest...

Landlocked Zambia is located between the southern rim of the Zaire Basin and the Zambesi river. The country is home to the majestic Victoria Falls as well as excellent national parks with a huge variety of wildlife. You’ll be based in the quiet, beautiful Eastern province, near the rural town of Katete. You’ll live within the hospital compound, with running water and electricity. The Hospital compound has a market for essentials such as fruit and vegetables.

We’ll ask you to commit to 12 months to make a sustainable contribution to HIV services at St Francis’ Hospital. In return, we’ll give you comprehensive financial, personal and professional support. We'll provide you with extensive training before your placement, a living allowance, return flights, accommodation, insurance and more. When you return home, we'll help you to resettle and many of our returned volunteers stay involved with us long after their placement ends.

Over the past 15 years, Uganda has enjoyed a stable government, economic growth and rapid social development. However, due to numerous resource constraints, the country remains one of the 25 poorest in the world, with public services, such as healthcare lacking in accessibility and quality. The International Hospital in Kampala was opened in January 2005 with 200 beds. The hospital is part of the International Medical Group, which has a strong charitable side, providing free health care to disadvantaged groups, such as orphanages and internally displaced people.

As an emergency medic in the International Hospital, you’ll help develop the hospital’s ability to deal with emergency admissions, especially from road traffic accidents, a major cause of trauma in Uganda. You’ll train colleagues in order to build their skills in emergency medicine, ensuring that more lives can be saved with better care.

What does the role involve?

• Working with Ugandan colleagues and hospital management to establish and develop emergency services
• Setting up assessment and triage systems for unplanned admissions
• Providing on-the-job training in emergency medicine to improve patient care
• Build expertise of staff in resuscitation and care of the acutely ill patient
• Developing links and networks for cross-organisational learning and sharing of information and skills

Skills, qualifications and experience required

You’ll need to be a registered doctor with at least three years’ experience in acute and emergency medicine, and ideally some experience in training or mentoring others. The confidence in your skills to teach colleagues and develop services is vital. You’ll also need great inter-personal and communication skills as you’ll be working closely together with your colleagues.

Flexibility, patience and the willingness to learn the local language, Luganda, would be an asset, as it will allow you to better communicate with patients and socialise with colleagues and new friends. A positive attitude and good sense of humour always help to immerse yourself in the local culture and make the most of your volunteering experience.

And the rest...

Landlocked Uganda lies across the Equator, bordering Tanzania, Sudan, Congo, Kenya and Rwanda. It’s a naturally fertile country with 25 per cent of its area covered in rivers, lakes and swamps. You’ll be based in the capital city Kampala, which is less crowded than many other African cities. There’s a friendly and social atmosphere with a real mix of people from all social, religious and tribal groups. On the social scene, the city has a variety of good restaurants, bars and cinemas so you shouldn’t have trouble keeping busy in your free time.

We’ll ask you to commit to 12 months to make a sustainable contribution to our development goals. In return, we’ll give you comprehensive financial, personal and professional support. We'll provide you with extensive training before your placement, and our financial package includes a living allowance, return flights, accommodation, insurance and more. When you return to your home country, we'll help you to resettle and many of our returned volunteers stay involved with us long after their placement ends