Private Hospital – We work with a private hospital in Ambalangoda. Usual working hours are between 09:00 and 12:30. The following departments are available:
Physiotherapy, Dental Surgery, Radiology (x-ray machine and computerised radiology), Laboratory, Phlebotomy, In-Patient Ward, Out-Patient Ward
The private hospital provides a structured observational and informative approach to give participants a broad insight into a medical facility in Sri Lanka. Your role is purely observational, so you should not expect any hands-on involvement. Depending on your interests, you will be placed within different departments and you will be attached to an English-speaking member of staff. If you have any specific departments of interest then please outline this in your online application under ‘Special Requirements’.
As the role is purely observational, we recommend that applicants sign up for no more than 2 weeks on the medical programme. In our experience, whilst you will gain invaluable medical insight and knowledge at the private hospital, after a while most people are eager for some hands-on work. Whilst PMGY cannot offer you hands-on medical volunteering, we can welcome you onto our orphanage and/or teaching projects. Our local team will go through the options with you during your in-country orientation. You can join one of these projects in the afternoon and attend the private hospital in the morning – it is completely up to you. Furthermore, it is absolutely fine for you to sign up for 2-weeks on the medical programme and then go on to do another project for the remainder of your stay, if you’d like to join us for longer than 2 weeks. If this is something you’d like to do then please drop us an email to discuss the idea in more detail.
Government Hospital – PMGY partner with a government hospital located only a 10 minute journey from Ambalangoda. It is a medium-sized hospital with over 500 stations. There are 20 doctors and 2 surgeons at the hospital. We can place participants at the following departments:
Out Patient, Emergency Treatment Room, General Medicine, Obstetrics, Gynaecology, Antenatal, Postnatal, Labour Room, Paediatrics
If you have a specific preference of department/s then you can outline this in the ‘expectations’ section of the online application form. You can choose to spend your time across several departments or just one or two.
Whilst you will be assigned a specific member of staff within the department to mentor you, it is important to understand that the staff are extremely busy. Therefore, you should be proactive, ask questions and be assertive in requesting additional guidance should you require it.
Your role at the government hospital is largely observational, as this is an elective placement. Whilst this cannot be guaranteed, you may be assigned some very basic hands-on involvement such as taking blood pressure and blood sugars etc. This is all undertaken under the supervision of the staff you will be attached to, and such permission is at the sole discretion of the staff.
If you wish to use this programme as part of your medical degree placement then we can sign off any paperwork you may require. Furthermore, if you work at the private hospital you will be provided with a medical certificate at the end of your placement.
Working in a hospital in Sri Lanka is a great opportunity to get close up clinical exposure and learn about a health care system in the developing world. You will witness a variety of cases, which offers a fantastic contrast to what you might find in your local hospital! PMGY’s medical programme in Sri Lanka is the perfect way to gain invaluable hospital work experience whilst exploring the wonders that this amazing island has to offer!
You as a volunteer
Your level of involvement at the project is dictated by medical experience, duration of programme and willingness to get involved. The medical staff are accountable for you whilst you’re under their supervision, so it is completely up to them if you are permitted and want to get involved in hands-on procedures. Whilst previous PMGY volunteers have been given the chance to administer IV injections, dress wounds etc, we can never guarantee or promote hands-on involvement for participants regardless of their medical experience or background.
Generally speaking those with little or no medical experience assume a largely observational role. If you are studying medically related degree, then you should have more opportunity to undertake some more basic hands-on involvement. However, to reiterate we can never guarantee or endorse hands-on experience should you choose to get hands-on, as the decision ultimately lies with the medical staff.
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