Volunteer as a medic in Ghana
Highlights
- Put your medical experience and training to use
- Use and develop your medical training with practical, hands-on volunteering
- Provide a helping hand to understaffed hospitals and clinics
- Help improve the well-being and health of the people
Overview
As a medical volunteer in Ghana you will be working in a local clinic or hospital supported by Agape, helping to lessen the burden on the stretched resources of the medical service. These facilities are often stretched to breaking point and in desperate need of additional help. This is where you come in!
Whether you are a doctor, nurse or medical student, you can use your skills to care for the community, whilst learning invaluable professional and life skills from the local healthcare teams.
Your work will depend on your experience level, and you must have some medical experience in order to take part. We very much welcome medical and nursing students, especially as part of elective programmes and internships, as you will have the opportunity to put into practice the skills you've learnt whilst helping those in real need.
You will spend the first few days shadowing a local doctor and learning about local techniques and common diseases. Once you feel comfortable, you will have the opportunity to begin performing some basic procedures under supervision. General responsibilities for medical volunteers include taking rounds, prescribing and distributing medicines, dressing wounds, and assisting with births.
Volunteers are generally expected to work at their placement five days a week. Weekday mornings will start with breakfast with other volunteers, before you head to your hospital or clinic for around 8.30am. Mornings will often start with consultation with local staff members to discuss the needs of the day, and you may be asked to help out with a wide range of activities. At around 12pm you’ll get a break for lunch, which you can take with other volunteers and local staff.
You will generally finish your placement at around 4pm, though this will depend on the opening times of your placement. When you finish you’ll get a chance to unwind with other volunteers and local team members over dinner, and we often organise games and activities of our own in the evenings. Weekends are also your own, but there are always plenty of extra Adventures to do in Ghana!