Work In a Medical/Healthcare Project in Ecuador

Project at A Glance Location: Quito Start Point: Quito End Point: Quito International Airport Duration: 2-12 Weeks Hours: 20-30 Hours per week Food: Local meals 3 times a day Room: Host family or hostel Date: First and Third Monday of each month

Project Summary

IFRE's Medical/Healthcare Project in Ecuador is the ideal project for anyone considering a career in the healthcare and/or nursing field as well as individuals interested in the subject of alternative medicine. Within this program, volunteers make a genuine contribution to staff working within Ecuador’s hospitals, health clinics and NGOs. Volunteers are needed throughout Ecuador to assist the populations residing in the poorest urban and rural areas.

Healthcare volunteers in Ecuador can expect to reach far beyond their “know-how” of training (no matter how in-depth or basic), but can also anticipate sharing their proactive attitudes, enthusiasm and natural abilities. The citizens of Ecuador face shortages of supplies and resources as they battle various diseases thought obsolete or remedied in western countries. There are limited flu shots and things as simple as antibiotics are in short supply. Medical/healthcare volunteers are greatly welcomed in these projects to share their time, knowledge, skills and support with the almost-crippled and ever-so-demanding healthcare industry of Ecuador.

Volunteers will be involved in the daily procedures of medical centers – observing or directly providing various sorts of assistance to existing doctors and nurses. Volunteers may also be expected to assist in maintaining files, providing assistance to the reception desk as well as in nurseries, routine patient check-ups, and more.

Skills/Qualifications Needed

Beginner to intermediate knowledge of Spanish is preferred. If you cannot speak Spanish, we suggest you enroll in our Spanish language course to make your stay more rewarding – both for you and for the children you are helping. Volunteers/interns who are interested in joining our volunteer health program must possess healthcare certification, such as an ID as a medical student, EMT or paramedic certification or nursing or physician's credentials. We do not permit volunteers without medical credentials to work in this program due to the potential risk. The hospitals require a copy of your resume, clearly documenting credentials and education, before your arrival to the project. Projects will also require an official copy of your credentials.

Volunteer Responsibilities

Job responsibilities for medical project volunteers/interns in Ecuador vary dependent on education, skills, experience and qualifications and also on the community’s current needs. Volunteers/Interns are not permitted to perform major exams or surgeries. Most often volunteers help doctors or work as their assistants. As a medical volunteer in Ecuador, you could be placed in a large hospital or small rural health center.

Volunteers can expect to collect patients’ vital statistics: blood pressure, body temperature, record patients' height, weight, etc. Volunteers may also provide much-needed assistance in various “health camps,” distribute medication, provide tips to patients regarding proper health, nutrition, personal hygiene, sanitation as well as providing general counsel to in-need Ecuadorians. Qualified participants may also assist in treating minor wounds and ailments as well as record-keeping. Most of the hospitals (regardless of size) have many departments: Emergency, Gynecology, Pediatrics, Gastroenterology, Infectious Diseases, Hematology, Endocrinology, Oncology, Internal Medicine, Clinical Pathology, etc. so a volunteer may be placed in any department, but skills/qualifications will also be considered.

Room/Food/Supervision

IFRE manages living accommodations and food in Ecuador. Our project volunteers stay with carefully selected host families. All volunteers receive three (3) meals a day. Prepared meals are typical of the Ecuadorian diet. Occasionally, if volunteers are away from their host families during lunch, they may be required to pack their own 'to go' lunches, with food the host family provides. Your host family is responsible for preparing three meals for you each day. If traditional Ecuadorian fare doesn’t appeal to you, you are welcome to buy your own food and prepare it yourself. The simple rule is to please not use the family’s food for your own use. If you have other needs for food outside of these meals, you are able to purchase snacks and meals at local restaurants and grocery stores. You will be sharing the house, kitchen and bathrooms with the family members. You will have the ability to do your laundry in the house or the host family may offer to do it for you.

Host family residences are simple and clean. Generally, our Ecuadorian host families are respected members of their communities and they live in well-off neighborhoods. Most of our host families are experienced with hosting international volunteers. Rooms may be shared with another same gender volunteer. Bathrooms are shared with the family. Toilets are ‘Western style’, yet often there is not always hot running water. Throughout the volunteer project, our local staff stays in contact with volunteers with either face-to-face visits or via email/telephone. With longer placements, we visit our volunteers every 2 weeks (when possible) and volunteers are always welcome at the local office. If project placement is local, we request that volunteers stop by the office once a week to keep us posted on how they are doing with their home stay and project. If project placement is very far, then our local staff members maintain communication by either email and/or phone.