This important project was created with the goal of supplying essential medical treatment to vulnerable residents in La Ceiba. Set in the popular seaside city, famous as the original port city for the ‘Banana Republic’, the Healthcare and Medical Program provides a medical internship in a public hospital, where volunteers can use their skills to help those who need it most. Intern responsibilities vary according to their own qualifications, experience and/or comfort level. Participants with a full medical degree will enjoy far more access when it comes to administering care and interacting with patients, however it is important to note that most interns only observe or help out with minor examination tasks. Every aspect of the internship is carefully monitored by the supervising staff – however the medical care opportunities are greater than interns would experience in Western hospitals. In all cases, volunteers/interns are able to work closely with a supervising physician or nurse who they will shadow on daily rounds. Volunteers on this program can choose to specialize in emergency, maternity, paediatrics and general/family medicine.
Goals of this Project:
- Make a real difference to the people of La Ceiba
- Provide free healthcare to those who need it most
- Improve the health and long term well-being of some of Honduras’ most impoverished people
- Offer a teaching experience for medical students while also supplying a much-needed volunteer labor force
