Medical Placement Volunteers, Maldives

The Medical Placement Programme is an opportunity for young medical students to join the staff of a small hospital, where they are able to shadow the hospital’s medical staff in the everyday treatment of the island’s patients. The hospital is situated on Naifaru Island which has a population of over 5000 people. Naifaru is also the capital of the Lhivayani Atoll, meaning that the hospital provides services for a total of 11,000 people across the atoll. Due to the relatively small patient-base of the hospital, medical volunteers will have a chance to assist in every department. Currently, the hospital has the following specialists: Obstetricians & Gynaecologists, Anaesthetists, General Practitioners, Dentists, Paediatricians (planned).

Aside from giving volunteers the opportunity to explore a range of medical issues, as a medical volunteer, you will also be given the opportunity to go on house calls which is a great way to experience the local culture. Whilst you are on the programme you will be housed in a volunteer house which has all the modern amenities you could wish for. The volunteer house is situated less than 5 minutes from the hospital, and as such, there is an opportunity for you to be on call.

Location

A geological eccentricity nestled in the middle of the Indian Ocean, the Maldives are a series of ancient coral reefs that grew up around the sides of towering prehistoric volcanoes. These immense structures have long since sunk into the ocean, leaving behind coral islands of incredible natural beauty, from the modernity of Male to the idyllic paradise of the Southern Atolls.

The Maldives have bright blue skies, all-year sunshine and fantastic diving and snorkelling in lagoons the temperature of bathwater. The country embraces travellers from around the world but maintains a deep Muslim faith. The Maldives has a tropical climate with warm temperatures year-round and a great deal of sunshine. The weather is determined largely by the monsoon seasons.

Accommodation

Volunteers on this project stay together in our shared volunteer guest house. The guest house comes with a living room with comfortable furniture, laundry facilities, TV, a large bookshelf and a fridge. All rooms in the house come equipped with aircon, fans and wi-fi internet. The standard room is a two to three-person shared (single-sex) room with its own Western-style bathroom.

We provide 3 meals per day for all volunteers. We will also organize for volunteers to eat together at local restaurants with the staff from time to time as a social event and order the food in advance if needed, but volunteers will need to pay either in dollars or local currency during their stay for any extra food expenses on top of this e.g. snacks.

Project Dates

Volunteers can take part in this project for a minimum of three weeks throughout the year.

For more details on how the programme works, dates, costs and how to apply, please visit our detailed project page here.