Máximo Nivel’s health projects provide volunteers with the opportunity to work in hospitals, clinics, and with special projects providing healthcare to disadvantaged and at-risk people in Peru and/or Costa Rica. Volunteers work alongside doctors, nurses, therapists, and other medical professionals in urban or rural areas.
Depending on your medical experience and Spanish language skills you may be asked to assist with various procedures such as delivering babies, suturing wounds, and giving vaccinations. Some volunteers may help with vaccination and public health campaigns.
Placement in health projects requires notarized documentation of your medical school, nursing school, or other medical credentials.
Medical placements ARE available for people without medical training. These volunteer projects are generally located in an urban hospital or clinic and often involve working with children who have mental or physical disabilities. Volunteers will generally help feed, bathe, and play with the children; and may be asked to assist in physical therapy.
CLINIC/HOSPITAL
Medical volunteers assist with general check-ups and examinations of patients, as well as assist in triaging emergency patients and possibly in traveling to patients’ homes in rural areas to help with vaccinations and/or to care for patients who have become immobilized. May volunteers will also work firsthand with patients struck with tropical diseases.
Depending on the volunteer’s ability to conduct themselves in the Spanish language and the expertise they demonstrate, the clinics will let you work as independently as possible.
Here is an excerpt from a volunteer-doctor in Peru:
I found this both humbling and empowering. That they can practice the quality of medicine that they do with the financial restrictions they face is very impressive. I felt it was very clever [of them] to have me work in topical medicine as it is very visual given my limited to non-existent Spanish. To me, anyone volunteering at the clinic is afforded an extraordinary window into medicine in Peru and they can make a real difference. [Volunteers] bringing additional money can also make an extraordinary difference as the cost of an X-ray is only $6.00 and medicine is $1.00, yet a number of patients cannot afford these small amounts, which could be life changing.
CLINICA SAN JUAN DE DIOS
Clinica San Juan de Dios offers free treatment to mentally and physically disabled children. The clinic is home to between 50 to 60 children, and employs five teachers, five nurses, and three physical therapists.
Volunteers are assigned various tasks depending on their skills and interests. All volunteers must help in the clinic feeding, bathing and playing with the children. Volunteers may also work as teaching assistants in the school and/or assisting with art projects.
