Health/Medical Volunteering In Uganda
Overview of the Project
Global Crossroad’s healthcare volunteering in Uganda project is located within the town of Wakitaka at the region's health center. This health center provides community health services on various levels – ranging from outpatient services and blood tests to community outreach, family planning and antenatal services. In collaboration with the health clinic's local and permanent staff members, volunteers help with administering vaccinations and routine health-related tests (blood pressure, blood tests, etc.) as well as providing consulting assistance. Other healthcare-related services offered to the community include Preventing Mother to Child Transmission (PMTCT) due to the high presence of HIV/AIDS in Uganda.
- Program: Volunteer in Uganda
- Project: Medical Volunteering in Uganda
- Start dates: 1st and 3rd Mondays of each month
- Locations: Wakitaka, near Jinja
- Departure and End Point: Entebbe International Airport
- Language Need: English
- Accommodation and meals: Host family and Ugandan cuisine three times daily
- Activities: support local medical personnel with day-to-day operations of the region’s healthcare center
- Working hours: 25-35 hours per week
Role of Volunteer
In Medical volunteering in Uganda project, your duties may include assisting local medical personnel and taking on various tasks independently at the clinic or hospital. Volunteers assist with outpatient department services, dispense medications and deliver injections/immunizations. Volunteers also support health education via community outreach programs and assist with family planning, antenatal services and deliveries.
- Outpatient Department Services (OPD)
- Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin or "mean cell hemoglobin" (MCH) – blood tests checking for anemia-based conditions
- Consultations
- Dispensing medications
- Injections/Immunizations
- Health Education
- Community Outreach
- Antenatal Services
- Deliveries
- Family Planning
NOTE: Above are sample activities and vary from day-to-day, depending up on the schedule of the project. The local project's staff members may request assistance in various activities deemed necessary or beneficial to the clinic or those in need.
Skills/Qualification Needed
To participate in medical volunteering in Uganda project, you must have certification or proof of experience in a medical field, such as a medical student ID, EMT or paramedic certification, or nursing or physician’s credentials. Due to the health risks involved, volunteers who are not properly trained in healthcare cannot support this project.
Your understanding of Ugandan culture and diversity can help improve the experience for both you and your patients. Consider enrolling in our one-week Language & Cultural Immersion program.
Volunteer in Uganda: Project Locations and Free Time Options
Our volunteer in Uganda projects are located in/around Kampala or Jinja. Rural Uganda hosts various incredible examples of wildlife. Local villages can be discovered on hikes through the countryside and these excursions provide genuine Ugandan cultural experiences.
Kampala is the capital and largest city (population of approximately 1.2 million) of Uganda and is just 10 km from Lake Victoria. The city of Kampala offers a plethora of attractions such as Ssezibwa Falls, the Ugandan National Theater, the very active Balikuddembe Market and Nakasero Market as well as numerous historical sites that provide glimpses into Uganda’s past. Kampala is said to have been built on seven different hills with each hill representing significance in Uganda's history.
Jinja is the second largest commercial center in Uganda and is located in southeast Uganda – approximately 87 km from the capital city of Kampala. Located on the shores of Lake Victoria and close to the source of the White Nile River, Jinja offers the many small town urban amenities such as a post office, town hall, hospital, golf course and numerous internet cafes. Echoes of Jinja's Indian influence are reflected in the city's architecture. Some of Jinja's attractive features include whitewater-rafting, a brewery, Bujagali Falls (a kayakers' heaven) as well as an animal sanctuary and memorials for both Mahatma Gandhi and Buddha in addition to an active Hindu temple.
