The recent overthrow of the democracy has brought violence and human rights abuses on to the streets, jeopardizing the safety of Maldivians and volunteers. Health Development is seriously under threat due to the turmoil and violence which has swept the country since the brutal overthrow of the democratically-elected government on 7th February 2012. Where health workers are able to stay, without danger to their safety, they will continue to work to benefit the Maldivian people. Unfortunately, this situation is becoming increasingly fragile as escalating numbers of Maldivian people are being beaten, hospitalized and imprisoned across the country, and FOM's focus is being forced to revert to protecting human rights until safety and democracy is restored.

Under Mohamed Nasheed's Presidency, FOM was able to recruit health volunteers to assist in developing the health service structures in order to deliver the Maldivian government's mission: to “provide affordable, accessible and quality health care for all” as a human right. Some of the ways it intended to do this were through establishing internationally accepted standards of health care, by improving the quality of health services; establishing better referral systems and high quality regional health centres; assuring health care training opportunities to Maldivians; reducing the costs of health care; setting up an inclusive social health insurance system; and encouraging private sector participation in health. The government also made a great commitment to tackling substance misuse, which is a major social problem. Some of the ways it intended to do were are through eliminating the illegal supply of narcotics and other illicit drugs into the Maldives and establishing a comprehensive and coordinated national response to combat substance abuse. Particular goals were for health care to be more accessible to its disparate population, more sustainable in the face of a tough economic climate, and better able to deal with specific social problems such as substance misuse.

Previous Work:

Affordable and Quality Health Care for All and Prevention of Narcotics Abuse and Trafficking are two of the government’s 5 Key Pledges, as outlined in The Strategic Action Plan 2009-2013.

HEALTH PROFESSIONALS REQUIRED – this is not an exhaustive list, and if you are interested in volunteering, please contact us.

DOCTORS

In particular demand are General Practitioners and specialists in:

• Public Health
• Entomology / vector control
• Drug Rehabilitation
• Obstetrics / Gynaecology
• Paediatrics
• Emergency Medicine
• General surgery
• General medicine
• Orthopaedics
• Anaesthetics
• Dentistry
• Psychiatry / Psychology
• Occupational Health

OTHER HEALTH PROFESSIONALS

Nurses – clinical nurse specialists, community nurses, trainers and managers

Social Workers – trainers, supervisors and those with expertise in child protection and drug rehabilitation

Medical Engineers

Hospital / Health Service Managers

Human Resources Specialists

Researchers

Pharmaceutical Managers

Physiotherapists

Placements can be offered from a period of 3 months to a year. In some circumstances, short placements can be taken up for less than 3 months, particularly to deliver specific training programmes.

Primary care volunteers will be mainly posted in island hospitals and primary care centres in more remote areas. They will work amongst the local island community, improving basic health care provision and advancing the education and skills of local health staff. They would preferably be able to stay for longer placements in order to instigate development projects and demonstrate health benefits through audit and research.

Specialists will either be working in the tertiary hospital in Male’ or in regional and atoll hospitals outside Male’. For specialist clinicians volunteering for a short duration, a pre-planned work schedule outlined by the Ministry of Health will be negotiated prior to their visit, including preplanned patient appointments to enable consultations and surgery to be delivered in a short, efficient time-frame.

Other health professionals are needed to bridge gaps in services eg. drug rehabilitation and child protection, and improve areas where expertise is lacking eg. human resource management and hospital administration.

All volunteers are needed to train local staff and improve the services in their area of work through:

Conducting seminars / workshops to update and advance knowledge and skills of local staff

• Assisting in developing local practice guidelines
• Advising on national standards for management of health facilities and care delivery
• Instigating audit to evaluate services and long-term benefits of new initiatives
• Compiling reports at the end of their placements including an assessment of their area and recommendations for improvement
  
  Here are 2 reports compiled by our first volunteer, Tom Heller:
  • Report from visit to South Huvadhoo Atoll (Gaafu Dhaalu)
  • Substance Abuse Report

Health volunteers conditions offered:

The Government of Maldives will provide the following for Health Volunteers:

A monthly allowance of US$ 700

Accommodation and utility bills (telephone excluded)

Internal transfers

Health Volunteers will have to raise their own return fares to the Maldives and acquire their own health and travel insurance.

The Ministry of Health and Family will negotiate location for the volunteers to be placed through the IVP following successful interview.

Health Volunteers travelling for less than a month will receive $700 incidental allowance, instead of the monthly allowance.