VSN Health volunteer examining a child in Nepal
VSN http://www.vsnnepal.org is playing an active role in linking rural Nepali people with experienced medical and health personnel from both Nepal and around the world. The Volunter Society Nepal Health Program mobilizes Health volunteers in medical and health areas, to rural and urban places where the government is unable to provide a formal health institution.
Many rural Nepali people are often reluctant to go to the hospital and other modern health services because of orthodox thinking, superstition and other cultural influences. Some Nepali people may visit a witchdoctor when they are suffering from an illness, so they sometimes die as a result of avoiding modern medications. By living and working with rural communities, Health Program volunteers also increase the exposure of rural Nepali people to modern medicine.
VSN Nepal welcomes all interested medical and health personnel and students, including students, professionals, organizations, associations and other groups to join the Health Program.
Health Program volunteers will be involved in one or more of the following programs:
(1) Working in Health Institutions
Most of the health institutions in rural areas in Nepal do not have trained and experienced medical personnel, instead relying on the services of untrained and inexperienced medical personnel. In this program, trained and experienced health volunteers will be assigned to sub-health posts, hospitals, and other health institutions, either being run by the government or a local community, in rural or urban settings. Placement of volunteers in these health institutions will increase the capacity of Nepali health workers to provide better medical facilities when doctors and experienced medical personnel are not available.
Volunteers will work alongside doctors, nurses and other health workers, providing training to untrained and/or inexperienced personnel. Volunteers will be assisted by a Nepali translator, increasing the transfer of knowledge between the volunteer and Nepali health workers. Volunteers will work for 5 -6 hours each day, six days a week.
(2) Organising Health Camp
During their time working in a health institution, health volunteers will be deployed to work in health camps for between two and five days. Volunteers will work alongside their Nepali counterparts to examine patients, distribute medicine and consult with communities about sanitation and health care. Volunteers? participation in health camps will raises local awareness of health and sanitation in rural communities.
(3) Health and sanitation awareness
In this program, volunteers will mainly be involved in working with the youth clubs, women's groups, and other local organizations, teaching them about proper health and sanitation. In addition, volunteers will provide First-Aid information to the local people in rural villages, thereby providing them with a practical and sustainable life-skill. Volunteers will also give similar First Aid courses to children in government schools, lasting from several days to a week in duration. The volunteers? major role in this program is to educate and mobilize community groups who can then pass the information onto the community at large. This program is particularly suitable for medical students and volunteers with health training experience however we do accept other applicants, provided they have some experience in this area.
VSN Nepal encourages all interested medical and health personnel, including students, professionals, organizations, associations and other groups to join the Health Program and make a lasting contribution towards supporting needy Nepali people.
Photo:
http://www.prlog.org/
