This hospital needs you!

Could you offer your time and expertise?

Why?

• the opportunity to live and work in another culture
• to contribute to the work of the hospital and provide a valuable service to the people of Zambia
• to gain professional experience, acquire new skills and gain confidence

Who? When? How? Preparing

Who?

Doctors are always needed – especially those with some experience in General Practice/Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, Paediatrics, General Surgery, Orthopaedics or Obstetrics & Gynaecology. The broader your experience, the better: you will probably find yourself dealing with situations and conditions outside your usual areas of expertise, so a flexible attitude and a cool head are sometimes the most useful professional assets.

Paramedical staff such as pharmacists, physiotherapists, radiographers and lab technicians can be invaluable, but probably a little more co-ordination with the hospital managers is required to make sure the timing and length of your stay fits with the hospital’s ever-changing needs.

We regret that at the present time we do not recruit volunteer Nursing staff. Registration is currently fraught with difficulties, and we have also found that adapting to Zambian nursing roles can prove very difficult.

Non medical skills can be just as valuable. For example, over the past year the hospital has benefited hugely from short term input from an engineer, an accountant and an IT expert. In these areas it is probably most useful for the hospital to identify a particular project or need: offer your skills, and the hospital should be able to find a good use for them!

Who? When? How? Preparing

When?

Start planning a trip to SFH well in advance: communication is often slow and patchy, and the “official” paperwork (work permits, professional registration, etc) can take many months.

Specific needs or projects will be advertised on this site as and when we hear of them, but if you have skills and time to offer, don’t wait to be asked! Contact the hospital and they will find a time and place for you.

From our experience we would suggest that medical staff try to spend at least 3 months, but preferably 6 months or more, at SFH - unless you are coming for a specific short term specialist project or task. It can take several months to adapt to the different clinical environment, acquire some basic Chinyanja and understand the way hospital works – and then you can really start to make a difference!

Who? When? How? Preparing

How?

The first step is to send an e-mail to us at  to offer your services. Your e-mail will go automatically to the Hospital Clincal Director and the the Voluinteer co-ordinators in the U.K. Please send a copy of your CV/resume with any application.

Doctors who commit to a 2 year contract can get a Zambia Government salary, but in all other cases volunteers are just that – so you may need to think about some fund-raising or sponsorship to cover some of your costs.

The Hospital will provide furnished accommodation – either a room or house with electricity and running water. Cooking facilities are usually provided (unless your stay is very brief), but kitchen equipment may not be. However, most of what you will need can be bought cheaply in Katete Stores or in Chipata. Some volunteers prefer to eat in the staff Mess which serves 3 meals every day. There is a small charge for this, although this may be waived for volunteers.

See the other pages in this section for more information about staying at the hospital.

If you are accepted as a volunteer, you will need to apply for a visa and/or work permit before you enter the country. You may also need professional registration eg with the Zambian Medical or Nursing Council. All of these take many months to process, so don’t leave it until the last minute. Dr Parkinson will be able advise you on what you’ll need and how to get it.

Who? When? How? Preparing

Preparing

See the other pages in this section for information about practical preparations, eg vaccinations, anti-malarials, insurance.

It is often a good idea to talk to someone from your profession who has spent time at SFH. Contact us at and we will try and answer your queries, or put you in touch with somebody else that can.

Who? When? How? Preparing