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Fantastic 4.54rating (29)
  • Good Health And Well-Being

Community Health Clinic Support

location
2 - 24 weeks  ·  Age 18 - 50+
Verified

Highlights

  • Work in day hospitals and community health centres serving Cape Town residents who cannot afford private medical care.
  • See what out-patient medicine looks like under real resource constraints - no major surgery here, but a great deal of primary care.
  • Sit in on HIV and AIDS awareness work, nutrition and healthy living programmes, and childcare clinics alongside the medical staff.

Highlights

  • Work in day hospitals and community health centres serving Cape Town residents who cannot afford private medical care.
  • See what out-patient medicine looks like under real resource constraints - no major surgery here, but a great deal of primary care.
  • Sit in on HIV and AIDS awareness work, nutrition and healthy living programmes, and childcare clinics alongside the medical staff.
  • Work with nurses, doctors, social workers and counsellors, and get exposure to counselling as well as clinical care.
  • Expect it to be busy and sometimes chaotic. These centres are understaffed and volunteers who use their initiative get the most out of it.
    • You don't have to pay anything yet

    Especially good for

    Age 18+
    Singles
    Couples
    Groups
    50+

    About the program

    Assist at day hospitals and clinics serving Cape Town communities who cannot afford private care. Out-patient work, HIV awareness and counselling.

    South Africa runs two healthcare systems side by side. One is private, well resourced and serves those who can pay. The other is public, free at the point of use, and carries the overwhelming majority of the population. This placement is firmly in the second.

    You work at day hospitals and community ...

    About the program

    South Africa runs two healthcare systems side by side. One is private, well resourced and serves those who can pay. The other is public, free at the point of use, and carries the overwhelming majority of the population. This placement is firmly in the second.

    You work at day hospitals and community health centres in Cape Town and the surrounding suburban areas — the facilities people use when private care is not an option. These are out-patient services: primary care, minor procedures, chronic disease management. No major operations are performed here, and any listing implying you will be in theatre is describing a different programme.

    What actually goes on at these centres

    More than you might expect. Alongside day-to-day medical care, the clinics run HIV and AIDS awareness programmes, nutrition and healthy-living education, and specialist childcare clinics. There are also counselling services, and the staff includes social workers and counsellors as well as nurses and doctors.

    That mix is the real value of the placement. If you have only ever seen medicine practised in a well-funded hospital, watching a clinic run public health, chronic care, counselling and social work out of the same modest building is an education in itself.

    What you will be doing

    Assisting the staff under professional guidance, and what that means depends on your training and on what the clinic needs on the day. Observation comes first. Beyond that you may help with patient flow, take basic observations, assist with the awareness and information programmes, sit in on counselling sessions, and take on whatever practical support the team asks for.

    Volunteers are expected to use their initiative here, and the staff will notice if you do. The ones who stand waiting to be given a task have a thinner time than the ones who look for the gap and fill it.

    Be ready for it to be busy

    Some of these centres are understaffed and can seem chaotic. Busy periods vary and are not predictable. That is not a failure of organisation; it is what universal primary care looks like when demand exceeds capacity. Volunteers who can adapt on the day do well. Volunteers who need a fixed rota do not.

    Who this suits

    Medical, nursing and pre-medical students, and qualified practitioners wanting international experience. You should be 18 or over. Bring your CV and evidence of your studies or qualifications; the clinics use these to decide what you may take on.

    English is the working language, so no additional language is required — though Cape Town's clinics also run in Afrikaans and isiXhosa, and any of either will endear you to patients quickly.

    Typical day

    Arrival — You are met at Cape Town International Airport (CPT) and taken by shuttle to the volunteer accommodation in Observatory. Note carefully: this pickup is only for volunteers arriving by air. If you are arriving overland or are already in South Africa, you make your own way to the ...

    Typical day

    Arrival — You are met at Cape Town International Airport (CPT) and taken by shuttle to the volunteer accommodation in Observatory. Note carefully: this pickup is only for volunteers arriving by air. If you are arriving overland or are already in South Africa, you make your own way to the accommodation.

    First Monday — Orientation with the local volunteer coordinator: living in and moving around Cape Town, culture and customs, safety, and a proper briefing on your clinic and what will be expected of you.

    Monday to Friday — the working pattern:

    • Morning — Breakfast at the volunteer house, then travel to your clinic
    • At the clinic — Assisting the staff. Hours follow the clinic's own day, and the pace varies enormously with how busy they are
    • Evening — Back at the house. Volunteers tend to cook together, watch films in the lounge, or have a braai, which is the South African barbecue and something close to a national institution

    Getting to your project — Most volunteers travel by minibus taxi, which is cheap, efficient and a genuine part of the Cape Town experience. Daily project transport is not included in the fee, so budget for it. The team shows you the routes during orientation.

    Weekends — Free. Table Mountain, Robben Island, Lion's Head, the Cape Peninsula, the winelands at Stellenbosch and Franschhoek, and the Garden Route if you have longer.

    Free-time activities

    Cape Town is an unusually good city to have free time in. Table Mountain is the obvious one — take the cable car up or walk Platteklip Gorge if your legs are willing — and Lion's Head at sunset is the walk everyone does and nobody regrets.

    Robben Island takes half a day and is worth doing ...

    Free-time activities

    Cape Town is an unusually good city to have free time in. Table Mountain is the obvious one — take the cable car up or walk Platteklip Gorge if your legs are willing — and Lion's Head at sunset is the walk everyone does and nobody regrets.

    Robben Island takes half a day and is worth doing properly rather than as a photo stop. Beyond the city, the Cape Peninsula drive out to Cape Point, the penguins at Boulders Beach, and the winelands around Stellenbosch and Franschhoek all fit a weekend.

    With longer, the Garden Route east towards Knysna and Tsitsikamma is one of the world's better road trips, and volunteers often go together and split the car.

    Evenings at the volunteer house tend to involve film nights in the lounge or a braai, which you should let a South African run rather than attempting yourself in week one.

    Requirements

    Requirements

    Minimum Age: 18 years

    In order to join the program you need to be at least 18 years old on the program start date. There might be exemptions if you can provide the permission of your legal guardian(s) or if your are accompanied by your parents.

    Education Requirements

    Medicine, Nursing, Pre-Medicine, Public Health at Medical, nursing or pre-medical student, or qualified practitioner level

    Criminal Background Check

    required

    Required Documents

    CV, proof of medical, nursing or pre-medical studies, criminal background check, passport copy and travel and medical insurance

    Nationality Restrictions

    No restrictions. Helping hands from all over the world are welcome.

    Other Skills

    Medical, nursing and pre-medical students and qualified practitioners. Send your CV and proof of study or qualification with your application, because the clinics use them to decide what you may take on. Any clinical experience helps. Bring your own stethoscope and white coat if you have them. English is the working language; any Afrikaans or isiXhosa is a bonus with patients. A clean criminal background check is required.

    Time Commitment

    Your helping hand will be required on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 08:00 - 16:00

    What's Included

    What's Included

    On-site Services

    Included in the programme fee:

    • Accommodation in the volunteer house in Observatory, or with a host family
    • Meals, according to your accommodation type — confirm the detail with the team before travelling
    • Airport pickup from Cape Town International for volunteers arriving by air
    • Orientation on the first Monday with the local volunteer coordinator
    • Your clinic placement and introduction to the medical staff
    • 24-hour assistance and support from the in-country team
    • Comprehensive pre-departure information
    • Certificate of participation on request

    Not included — and two of these are easy to miss:

    • Daily transport to your clinic. You travel by minibus taxi and pay for it yourself. It is cheap, but over several weeks it adds up, so budget for it
    • The return airport drop, which can be arranged at extra cost
    • International flights
    • Visa fees
    • Vaccinations
    • Travel and medical insurance, which is mandatory. Buy it through us at extra cost, or bring your own and send a copy
    • Your own stethoscope, white coat and scrubs
    • Weekend travel and personal spending

    The price shown already includes your application fee – there is nothing further to pay us on arrival. Payment can be split into interest-free instalments, with the balance due 45 days before you start.

    Airport Pickup at Cape Town International Airport

    Arrival pickup from Cape Town International Airport (CPT) is included. A representative meets you and takes you by shuttle to the volunteer accommodation.

    Two important limits on that:

    • The pickup is for volunteers arriving by air at Cape Town International only. If you are arriving overland, coming from elsewhere in South Africa, or are already in the country, no pickup is provided and you make your own way to the accommodation.
    • The return airport drop is not included. It can be arranged for you at extra cost, payable locally.

    Send your flight details in advance so somebody is there when you land.

    Accommodation

    You stay either in the volunteer house or with a host family in a local community. Most volunteers are in the house.

    The volunteer house is a dormitory-style hostel in Observatory, a suburb about twenty minutes from central Cape Town. Rooms typically hold four to eight people. Observatory is well placed: close to shops, restaurants, public transport and some of the best beaches anywhere, and it is a safe area.

    The house is used exclusively by programme participants and is not open to the public. Evenings are communal — film nights in the lounge, or a braai, which is the South African barbecue and rather more of an institution than the word "barbecue" suggests.

    Living in a house with volunteers from all over the world is genuinely one of the better parts of this placement, and most people leave with a group chat that outlasts the trip.

    Host family placements in local communities are the alternative if you would rather be immersed than sociable. Say which you prefer when you apply.

    Food & Beverages

    Meals are provided, and what is included depends on which accommodation you are in — the volunteer house and the host family arrangements differ. The team will confirm exactly what your placement covers before you travel, and it is worth asking the question directly rather than assuming.

    In the volunteer house, self-catering and communal cooking are a large part of the social life. Observatory has supermarkets, markets and a lot of cheap places to eat within walking distance.

    With a host family you eat South African home cooking, which is worth experiencing properly.

    Tell the team about allergies and dietary requirements before you arrive. Cape Town is an easy city to be vegetarian or vegan in.

    Internet Access

    Good access at the project site
    You don't have to pay anything yet

    What's NOT included?

    What's NOT included?

    Flight Tickets

    The nearest airport is Cape Town International Airport (CPT) in Cape Town. We assist you to find cheap flights to South Africa. FIND CHEAP FLIGHTS

    Travel Insurance

    Going abroad is an adventure and it is always best to be prepared. Sudden illness or injury, cancellation or theft - a travel insurance for South Africa provides security and is a plus to have. GET A QUOTE

    Vaccines

    If you are intending to volunteer in South Africa you should seek medical advice before starting your social journey. Check your required vaccinations for South Africa. VACCINE CHECKER

    Details on arrival

    Start dates — Regular start dates year-round, with orientation on the first Monday of your programme.

    Getting there — Fly into Cape Town International Airport (CPT).

    Transfers — read carefully

    • The arrival pickup from Cape Town International is included, by shuttle to the volunteer accommodation.
    • Volunteers arriving overland, or already in South Africa, get no pickup and must make their own way to the accommodation.
    • The return airport drop is not included. It can be arranged at extra cost.

    Daily project transport is not included either — you travel to your clinic by minibus taxi and pay for it yourself. It is inexpensive, but it is a real cost to budget for over several weeks.

    Documents to prepare early — Your CV and evidence of your medical, nursing or pre-medical studies. Clinics use these to decide your level of involvement, so send them well ahead.

    Health — You will be in clinical settings, so make sure your vaccinations including hepatitis B are current and speak to a travel clinic before you go. Bring your own stethoscope and a white coat if you have them. Cape Town is malaria-free.

    Visa — Many nationalities enter South Africa visa-free as visitors for up to 90 days. Check your own country's position. Visa fees are not included.

    When to come — Cape Town's summer is roughly November to March: warm, dry and busy. Winter, June to August, is cooler and wetter but far quieter and cheaper. The clinics run year-round.

    Availability
    Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

    Program Fees

    $379 per week 2 - 24 weeks Age 18 - 50+

    Payment methods

    Visa Master Card Maestro American Express PayPal

    NO CREDIT CARD FEES

    Duration

    2 - 24 weeks

    Deposit

    Reserve your spot with just a few clicks and a small, secure deposit. You can pay by credit card, PayPal, or other convenient methods.

    Final Payment

    You’ll agree on the final payment method with your local organization during the application process. This final payment is only due closer to the start of your trip.

    You don't have to pay anything yet
    4.5
    Top Pick
    One of the top picks on Volunteer World, according to travelers

    Location

    Africa > Southern Africa > South Africa > Cape Town

    Meet your project coordinator

    Sahil
    29
    reviews
    4.54
    Fantastic
    2007
    Founded

    Verified

      Below average response rate
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    Volunteer Abroad  >  Health Services  >  Medical Training in South Africa
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    Travel dates

    1. - 1. Jan 1

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