Real Journey Nepal is playing an active role in linking rural Nepali people with experienced medical and health personnel from both Nepal and around the world. The Real Journey Nepal Health Program mobilizes volunteers experienced in medical and health areas, to rural 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 faith-healer or witchdoctor when they suffer from 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.
Health Volunteering in Nepal with Real Journey Nepal is an excellent way to become involved in some of the poorest medical institutions in the developing world. As a medical volunteer in Nepal, you will have the opportunity to observe the medical work in a variety of departments.
Most Medical volunteer work in Kathmandu, Chitwan, Pokhara’s and Banepa Hospitals and polyclinics.
Your Role as a Medical Intern in Nepal
We will ask you which departments you would like to specialize in from the following options: General Medicine, Gynecology/Maternity, Infectious Diseases, ENT, Obstetrics, Psychiatric ward, Neurology, Pneumology, Oncology, Urology, ICU, Ophthalmology, Stomatology, Emergency (requires at least 6 years medical training) and Surgery (requires at least 3 years medical training). All Medical Volunteers/ Elective in Nepal must have completed at least one year of medical-related studies or training by the time they join this project or at least three years to working at the pediatric hospital. Each internship is tailored to your level of experience and interests.
The hospital staff requests that you spend a minimum of two weeks in each department. Your supervisor at the hospital, the Director, will then assign you to work with the specialist doctors within the different departments. We will do our best to place you according to your preferences, but cannot guarantee every department will be available all of the time.
Your role at the hospital will vary depending on your education and experience level. Usually, you will shadow the local staff upon arrival before switching departments. If you show enthusiasm and develop a good relationship with the medical staff, you may trust to be given more to do. As with any job – especially in the field of medicine – you must prove yourself to be trustworthy before you are given responsibilities.
The hospital’s facilities are basic and the treatment standards will probably be different from what you’re used to. You should be prepared to see some shocking cases and try not to get emotionally involved with the patients. The normal working hours are from Sunday to Friday from 8 am to 12 pm. Many of the doctors do not work in the afternoons, though it is sometimes possible to arrange extra hours from 2 pm to 5 pm to help the nurses or do additional work with patients. Some interns have even arranged to work the occasional night shift.
Most of the doctors speak English. In some departments, there is a staff who speaks a little English or from time to time there may also be local medical interns who can also communicate in English.
You may also get involved in Organizing Health Camp
During their time working in a health institution, trained and experienced 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.
Health and sanitation awareness and conduct First Aid Trainings
In this program, volunteers will mainly be involved in working with the community schools, youth clubs, women’s groups, and other local organizations, teaching them about proper health and sanitation. In addition, volunteers will provide First-Aid information/ Training 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.
Real Journey Nepal encourages all interested experienced 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.
Highlights
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- Exposure to a wide range of medical conditions and treatments, as many rural areas in Nepal have limited access to healthcare.
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- Opportunity to work alongside experienced Nepalese doctors and healthcare professionals, allowing for cultural exchange and learning from different perspectives
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- Chance to gain a deeper understanding of the social and economic factors that impact health in a low-income country
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- Experience working in a resource-limited setting, which can be valuable for developing clinical problem-solving and resource management skills
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- An opportunity to provide medical assistance to people who are in need of it in remote regions of Nepal
- Develop your critical thinking and cross-cultural skills. In addition, by leaving the familiar behind to go encounter new people and places, you will gain a better understanding of yourself and the world around you.
- Experiencing another way of life firsthand will enhance your independence, understanding, education and self-awareness. These life-skills are all invaluable.
The founding principle of Volunteer Society Nepal is knowing we could get more money going to where it is needed most.
Real Journey Nepal is a locally owned and managed non-governmental, social development organization which aims to support the poorest and most vulnerable communities in Nepal. We are a small organization, with no international organizational umbrella. This means that all the volunteer fees and funding are lower than many other organizations. The fees are invested directly into Nepal. Volunteering at Real Journey Nepal is not free, as we are partly reliant on volunteers’ fees to fund our projects. We are thankful to those who have been supporting us by taking part in our programs over the years. It is these volunteers that have been enabling us to make such massive changes to the lives of hundreds of disadvantaged women and children.
