Improving Maternal Child and Adolescent Health

Looking for the next step in your career? And an opportunity to turn studies into field experience?

Posted By SGCHN  
29/08/2018
10:20 AM

An exciting opportunity to gain practical experience in a tropical setting while helping our closest neighbours in Papua New Guinea.

Australian Doctors International (ADI) is a small not for profit organisation working to improve the health outcomes of people in rural and remote parts of Papua New Guinea. ADI deploys volunteer doctors, senior nurses and health project coordinators to work with local partners, and has been doing so for over 15 years. A taste of the experience can be found through this video https://youtu.be/pnhzxfHlr8c

What’s involved in being a medical officer/senior nurse?

The volunteer medical officer/senior nurse becomes a part of a multidisciplinary team providing clinical and preventative healthcare services across health centres and aid posts, regularly traveling with an allied health team to those rural locations. The outreach patrols are conducted by boat or four-wheel drive and last up to two weeks staying in local guest houses, villages and health facilities. The ADI medical officer focuses on both building the clinical capacity of rural health workers, and treating the community. Seventy percent of patients seen are women and children, with our staff seeing cases of malaria, tuberculosis and even leprosy. Training for healthcare workers covers a range of topics including maternal health, lifestyle diseases and family planning.

What’s involved in being a maternal and child educator?

The volunteer maternal and child educator works with our health service provider in Western Province, PNG to deliver maternal and child health education on patrols to remote communities and health care workers, and also liaises with partners to deliver in-depth maternal and child health training.

ADI is recruiting now for 2019 vacancies. The medical officers and nurses are deployed for between three to six months. ADI provides a monthly living allowance, food allowance, housing, airfares and other travel expenses. We are very well regarded within the communities we operate, and returned volunteers value the support our organisation provides. Please see case studies of returned volunteers - http://www.adi.org.au/adi-doctors-2/

For more information and to apply, please visit http://www.adi.org.au/volunteering-in-png/ Please fill in the online application form, contact Virpi on virpi@adi.org.au or phone 02 99078988 for more information.

Take the step to explore this career opportunity and see where the adventure can take you.