VOLUME 26, ISSUE 2
FULFILLING YOUR GLOBAL MISSION STATEMENT: SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS FOR VOLUNTEER MEDICAL SERVICES ABROAD
Lee C. Woodson, MD, Ph.D Anesthesia Safety Editor
Volunteer medical services to areas abroad provide much needed and appreciated care to patients and a very rewarding experience to the volunteers. There is a wide variety of volunteer services that involve regular medical care, disaster relief, or education of local medical workers. Anesthesia related mortality rate in developing countries is up to 1,000 times the rate in high income countries due in large part to shortages of trained anesthesia providers. Several volunteer organizations focus on education of anesthesia providers in developing countries and can have a profound effect on patient safety in these countries. Volunteer medical service abroad by definition provides care in an area that for one reason or another is underserved.
Many sites they visit have fairly austere resources and a hospital that is new and well equipped but without resources to finance a large number of cleft palate repairs without compensation. They also work in a facility in Guatemala supported by the Shalom Foundation. This is a facility with modern equipment and staffed by local physicians and nurses available to visiting surgical teams who share the facility expenses. Austin Smiles has also worked in Cuba where medical care is available to all citizens despite very Spartan resources, and the volunteer staff works closely with host physicians exchanging ideas.
Whether working in a modern or austere facility, as a volunteer working abroad, the care you deliver will almost certainly and unavoidably be different from the care you deliver in your home practice. Among other factors, there will be unfamiliar equipment and personnel, possibly with less monitoring capabilities than at home, labels in foreign language, time constraints associated with screening and treating many patients in a short time. There may be local policies and procedures in the host facility that you may not agree with but must respect as a guest.
As a result, volunteers must be flexible and resourceful and safety is always a prime consideration. Concerns naturally involve the safety of the patients, but the safety of the volunteers also requires careful consideration. In this limited space, a detailed description of risks is not possible, but we can list some key concerns and provide a reading list for details for those seriously considering volunteering.
