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WHAT DO WE DO ON MOBILE CLINIC TRIPS?
Student volunteers work alongside local doctors and nurses at Mobile Health Clinics to bring free, high quality health care to remote communities with little or no access to healthcare. Student duties involve taking vitals, assisting dentists, OB/GYNs, and doctors, and teaching children valuable hygiene skills such as toothbrushing. Every MEDLIFE trip also includes a development project, and in addition to working on mobile health clinics, each student will spend one day working on constructing needed infrastructure in a community. The projects vary depending on location, but most often include building staircases, restrooms, or schools. Students will also get to explore the city and experience the culture during the weekends and evenings of work days.
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Triage ​
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Education
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Doctor
Mobile Clinic stations include:
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Dentist
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OB/GYN
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Pharmacy
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Tooth brushing
What is a Mobile Clinic?
A MedLife Mobile Clinic travels to low income communities to provide care to individuals and families who otherwise lack access. The clinics offer the opportunity to be seen by a local general medical doctor, dentist, and an ob/gyn. Women are also offered preventative tests, such as pap smears and breast cancer screenings. Students work directly with local doctors and nurses who speak the language, understand local systems and provide culturally sensitive care.
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Patient care does not end at the Mobile Clinics as doctors may identify patients that require more specialized care or follow up treatment. These patients enter MedLife’s patient-follow up program where they work with local doctors and nurses to ensure that they receive the additional care they need. MedLife provides financial resources for treatment, emotional support, nutritional services for malnourished families, and educational resources.
Many of these communities are miles from a hospital with no forms of transportation leaving them stranded from any sources of support. MedLife’s Mobile Clinics bring the local communities more than just free healthcare, we aim to educate the locals on their health, the importance of preventative care, and provide patients with the tools to lead healthier lives.
Triage:
The vitals station is the first station that the patients visit. Here we obtain the necessary data for the patients to fill out in their registration forms that they bring to each medical station. You will help the nurse who is in charge of filling the forms with patient data by measuring the height, weight, blood pressure and temperature of every patient, including adults and children. Write on the forms neatly and calculate BMI if asked by the medical professionals.
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Education:
The education station not only serves to teach patients about diseases, prevention and different hygiene methods, but it also as a waiting room while they wait to be seen by a medical provider. In this station you will help install all of the necessary equipment, change the educational videos, and fold and distribute information brochures.
Doctor:
The general medicine station is one of the major stations where doctors address the individual medical issues of the patients. You will be shadowing the doctor and if required, you will help measure the blood pressure and temperature of the patient. The doctors (may or may not speak English but there will be an interpreter on site) will do their best to explain to you the patient’s diagnosis and their prescription. You will remain attentive to the education area where patients are sent to wait until there is a doctor available for consultation.
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Dentist:
The dental station is responsible for the revision work, healing, and extraction of teeth if necessary. The dental professional usually is bilingual. In this station you will assist the dentist (suction, flashlight, handing equipment when needed) and also help patients with paperwork. At the end of the day, you will help clean utensils. This is one of our most hands on rotations.
OB/GYN:
The OB/GYN station is responsible for addressing gynecological problems such as performing breast exams and cervical cancer screenings. This station will ONLY allow female volunteers for cultural reasons. Here you will help the gynecologist perform breast exams and pap smears.
Pharmacy:
After they’ve received medical attention, patients should head to the pharmacy to receive the medicine that they were prescribed by their doctor. In this station you will help the nurse select and prepare the medicine that corresponds with each patient.
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Toothbrushing:
This station is responsible for the dental education of children from age 3 and up. Volunteers will be in charge of this station. All of the children above age 3 will be registered on a list. You will give all of the children a toothbrush, teach them how to brush their teeth correctly and you will apply fluoride. MEDLIFE provides a phrase sheet to help you use during demonstrations. An important part of prevention is ensuring the younger generations are educated as soon as possible to encourage healthy habits throughout life.
