Clinical Medical Practice in Belize

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  • The Project

    Volunteer in Belize and work in a clinic dedicated to providing healthcare to disadvantaged members of society. The clinic was set up 25 years ago by English-born Nurse Margaret. She has run the clinic for 25 years and is dedicated to providing quality healthcare to disadvantaged families. Both Nurse Margaret and the clinic are well known within the community and patients have been known to walk for up to 2 hours just to receive treatment at the clinic. The project runs a family clinic 3 days per week and then a purely prenatal clinic on Fridays.

  • Why the project needs you

    This clinic was set up to ensure that all members of the San Ignacio receive quality healthcare at a very nominal price. The clinic receives donations and only charges the smallest amount possible to its patients. It relies on volunteers to provide care to its patients and without volunteer support the service offered by the clinic would not be able to reach out to as many members of the community as it does at the moment. Therefore, qualified doctors and nurses or 3rd year medical students are in great demand to ensure that the clinic can reach out to as many areas of the community as possible.

    Those with specialist skills are also highly sought after such as Urologists, Gynecologists, Dermatologists, Internists/Physician Specialists and General Practitioners. When specialists volunteer at the clinic Nurse Margaret will advertise this on the local radio and TV to let the community know when to come down to the clinic. Her work has become so well known that the clinic is well known throughout Central America and people have travelled from as far as Guatemala (a 10 hour drive) to receive treatment.

    Project Location

    Kaya's programmes are based in San Ignacio and the surrounding communities. San Ignacio, referred to locally as Cayo, is located 2 hours from Belize City along the Western Highway and is a tourist centre. The town and the surrounding communities contain a diverse mix of creole, Maya and mestizo populations. San Ignacio is also an attractive market town set among pleasant tropical hills. The friendly people of San Ignacio enable rich cultural exchanges and productive development projects.

  • Project Facts

    • Duration: 2 - 26 weeks
    • Cost: £795 ($1391) for 2 weeks, £235 ($411) for each week thereafter
    • Requirements: age 18+
    • Location: San Ignacio, Belize
    • Project activities: Dependent on level of experience. May include observation, taking vitals or possibly minor surgery.
    • Working hours: Monday, Wednesday, Friday 8am-4pm. There are outreach clinics on other days of the week should volunteers wish to get involved on other days.
    • Project availability: starting on the first or third Saturday of each month. Project closed for the whole of August and November 2011.
    • A maximum of 2 volunteers can be accepted at any one time.
    • At least 2 months advance booking required to participate in this project.

  • What is included

    • Accommodation: Single or shared room in a home-stay
    • Food: 3 meals per day – Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
    • Airport pick up and drop off
    • Training: Orientation and project induction provided
    • Support: 24 hour support
    • Excursion Planning: Staff help organise weekend activities (Activity price may be extra)

  • What is not included

    • Flights
    • Insurance
    • Visas

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